2023-06-07

SIFF PROJECT｜STREETWISE from SIFF PROJECT to Be Screened Soon – The Struggle of a Nobody at a Dead End

STREETWISE

Created and presented by the 7th Art Pictures, featuring Guan Hu as the executive producer, Liang Jing as the chief producer, and Na Jiazuo as the director, STREETWISE (formerly known as REMAINDER/GAEY WA'R), starring Li Jiuxiao, Huang Miyi, Yu Ailei, Sha Baoliang, and Yao Lu, will be released in theaters nationwide on June 16.

Still of STREETWISE

Set against the backdrop of the migratory waves to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, this work spotlights the growth of a group of young people in Sichuan and Chongqing who wanted to leave but failed to do so at the turn of the century. Director Na Jiazuo has depicted true to life the plight of young Dongzi (Li Jiuxiao) - the rigid and frosty father-son relationship, the unbearable life stress, the restless youth and the untold love.

In the preview poster, the river surges and rolls, the waves ride and chase, and the tides rise higher and higher as they approach from afar. At this moment, a huge swallow picks up a small boat and escapes from the perilous tide, defying the dragon-like roar and tiger-like growl of the river and bravely soaring into the sky of freedom; on top of the boat stands a Musa basjoo, while Dongzi and Jiu'er (Huang Miyi) are looking into the distance, seemingly trying to find a harbor where they can anchor.

Still of STREETWISE

The protagonist Dongzi repeats the monotonous cycle of "eating, talking, making mistakes" every day and is at a loss as to "what to do, how, and why"; and Jiu'er, the tattoo shop owner, offers him the only shelter. Together with Xijun, who is at the bottom of the chain of contempt in the circle, and Sige, who loves but has to divorce his wife, they offer a silhouette of the small group of people who are left behind in the "migration tide". They, like weeds growing in the cracks of the roadside unwilling to be swayed by the wind of destiny, will thrive as always with a tenacious will even though they do not know what is awaiting them.

Still of STREETWISE

As a feature film debut for Na Jazuo, STREETWISE constructs the emotional framework of the film with a powerful audio-visual language and subtle artwork, and as the audience follows the lens and the protagonist around the corners of the film, the youthful restlessness and longing of the character will well up naturally. The primal, untamed experience of life conveys a feeling of blunt force, echoing the strong hormonal quality inherent in the works by the executive producer Guan Hu, while Na Jiazuo combines a violent aesthetic with a poetic temperament, rendering this film unique in style. In 2017, this work was shortlisted for NEW TALENT PROJECT of the SIFF PROJECT, and was selected as one of the "Most Promising Projects by Linmon Pictures". In 2020, the work joined SIFF again, and was shortlisted for WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT of SIFF PROJECT, winning the honor of Cornerstone Special Attention.

Director Na Jiazuo (left) at the negotiation site of SIFF PROJECT 2020

The film has been selected for numerous film festivals since its production. In 2021, it was nominated for the UN CERTAIN REGARD section of the 74th Cannes Film Festival, as the only film from the Chinese mainland in the official section. STREETWISE was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize and Best Artistic Exploration at the 16th FIRST, and the Fei Mu Award for Best Actress at the 5th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival. It has also been shortlisted for the New Directors Competition at the 45ª Mostra Internacional de Cinema em São Paulo, Brazil and the Hidden Dragon unit at the 5th Pingyao Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon International Film Festival.

Director Na Jiazuo (right) is making a presentation

at SIFF PROJECT 2017

SIFF PROJECT

Introduced in 2007, SIFF PROJECT, held for 14 sessions so far, has witnessed 87 projects entering production, of which 44 films were shortlisted for competitive feature film festivals, and 61 films were released in theaters. As the incubator for excellent film works and also an important platform for the industry to discover new talents for the Chinese-language cinema, SIFF PROJECT has developed, at present, four units, namely, NEW TALENT PROJECT, CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT, PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT and WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP), to provide incubation, financing, promotion, activity design and connection services tailored for projects in different styles and stages.

2023.06

SIFF PROJECT of the 25th SIFF

June 2023

PRE-PRODUCTION PROJECT |CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT

NEW TALENT PROJECT| WORK-IN PROGRESS PROJECT (WIP)

project@siff.com