CinemAsia Quarterly Screening: I Phone You

CinemAsia Quarterly Screening: I Phone You

Thursday 9 January 2014 12:00

I Phone You. Humor in the emerging Chinese media landscape

CinemAsia Quarterly Screening of I Phone You (China / Duitsland 2011) by Tang Dan (唐丹), Thursday 16 January 2014, 8pm, De Balie in Amsterdam

Chinese cinema has already landed in Europe. In the west we are already familiar with Asian kungfu, drama and action movies although Chinese romcoms, sitcoms of satire still haven’t reached the general Dutch audience yet. In our upcoming CinemAsia Quarterly on January 16th, we are exploring Chinese comedy. “I PHONE YOU” (China / Germany) is a romantic comedy film that views the Berlin society from Chinese perspective. The main characters in the film are played by Florian Lukas (GOODBYE, LENIN!) and Jiang Yiyan (REIGN OF ASSASSINS). The screening will be followed by a talkshow, which addresses the rise of Chinese comedy.

I Phone You: From the Chinese metropole Chongqing to Berlin

Ling, a Chinese girl in her mid-20's, has a short romantic affair with Chinese businessman Yu who lives in Berlin. He gives her an iPhone as a goodbye present, thereby starting a long-distance telephone relationship. A few weeks later Ling decides to leave Chongqing behind her and flies to Berlin to meet Yu, but some stranger awaits her at the airport. He is Yu‘s German bodyguard who has to make sure that Ling returns home as soon as possible. However nothing goes as planned. What follows is a two-day adventure full of surprises as Ling meets Turks, Poles and Berliners, waiters, policemen, whores, and even a dog. Will she give up on Yu and return home? Or will she succeed in catching the man she wants so badly?

Humor from Chinese perspective

Why is it that the Chinese comedy has not yet reached the western audience? Is it not funny in the European context? Has the cultural revolution killed every form of humor? Or do the Chinese have a different kind of humor that the average Westerner cannot understand? Last year CinemAsia screened the box office hit "Lost in Thailand" (人再囧途之泰囧). In China this movie broke every record, which made this movie the biggest blockbuster and most visited Chinese comedy movie of all times.

After the screening of I Phone You a talkshow will be held, moderated by CinemAsia’s programmers Shiko Boxman and Arjen Oosterbaan (- CHFC China Holland Film Company). As usual to the CinemAsia Quarterly screenings we will, along with the audience, look for answers to questions about the topic. The public is therefore invited to actively participate in the panel discussion.

Time: 8 pm
Location: De Balie, Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10, Amsterdam