SIFF PROJECT 丨 ABSENCE Claimed Accolades at Film Festivals

On April 27, the 24th Jeonju International Film Festival commenced with much fanfare, and ABSENCE (SIFF PROJECT 2019) became one of the highly anticipated contender for the International Competition section. Following its successful selection for the Berlin International Film Festival, the New Directors/New Films in New York, and the Hong Kong International Film Festival, this work has been nominated this time for another important international film festival. In 2019, ABSENCE made its debut during the script stage at the SIFF PROJECT of Shanghai International Film Festival and was awarded the honor of "Specially Recommended Project by the Jury".

Poster of ABSENCE

Directed by the post-90s director Wu Lang, ABSENCE, starring Li Kangsheng, Li Meng, and Ren Ke, is among the finalists for the International Competition section of the Jeonju International Film Festival, one of South Korea's three major international film festivals on par with the Busan International Film Festival and the Pucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. It will compete for the Grand Prize, Best Film, and Special Jury Award, alongside 9 other outstanding films. And this work has also been invited to screen at the Moscow International Film Festival and will participate in upcoming film festivals in North America and Europe. It is set to hit theaters in China in 2023.

Poster of ABSENCE

ABSENCE depicts the story of Han Jiangyu (played by Li Kangsheng), who returns to his hometown after ten years in prison and tries to rekindle his relationship with his ex-lover, Su Hong (played by Li Meng). The plan of Han's old friend Chen Kai (played by Ren Ke) to buy a house forces Han and Su to confront their own problems and the harsh realities of life together. Shot in Haikou, this feature-length film showcases the director's keen observations of the minutiae of everyday life and his musings on the relationship between people and space.

Poster of the short film ABSENCE

In 2019, when ABSENCE was still in the script stage, it won the "Specially Recommended Project by the Jury" honor at SIFF PROJECT. The film was commended by the panel of judges formed by Wong Kar-wai, Shen Yang, and Leste Chen. They praised the director's use of character and time to convey a sense of beauty in the dislocation between psychological and physical space, providing a space for imagination in the presentation of new film language and aesthetics.

Event site of SIFF PROJECT 2019

Director Wu Lang (left), lead actress Li Meng (center), and Jury President Wong Kar-wai (right)

Since being selected by SIFF PROJECT, ABSENCE has undergone three years of production, culminating in the impressive achievement of both a short and feature-length film. The short film version of ABSENCE was shortlisted for the Short Films Competition at the 74th Cannes Film Festival main competition section and the 33rd Palm Springs International Short Fest, and won the Best Short Film award at the 22nd Milan International Film Festival. In 2023, the feature-length version of the film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and became the candidate for the Encounters section of the festival, making it the only Chinese-language film chosen by this section of the festival. Established in 2020, the Encounters section is dedicated to pooling films and directors with innovative and unique cinematic language, making it one of the most vibrant and innovative segments of the Berlin International Film Festival. ABSENCE thus achieved a groundbreaking feat for Chinese-language films in this category.

The creator of ABSENCE at the Berlin International Film Festival

After its world premiere at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival, ABSENCE was invited to participate in the 52nd New Directors/New Films in New York City, the 7th East Asia Film Festival Ireland, and was nominated for the Firebird Award in the Young Cinema Competition (Chinese Language) at the 47th Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Director Wu Lang (right) and producer Dun He are presenting their works on stage at SIFF PROJECT

The film ABSENCE, with Dun He as the producer, was co-produced by Turun Movie, Haikou Qinglan Visual Art Development Co., Ltd., Xiyue Media (Hainan) Co., Ltd., and Wutiaoren (Guangzhou) Culture Communication Co., Ltd. The film was jointly made by Turun Movie and Haikou Qinglan Visual Art Development Co., Ltd., and internationally distributed by Chi Jiao (Beijing) Culture Communication Co., Ltd.