Directed by LIANG Ming and starring LV Xingchen, WU Xiaoliang, and WANG Jiajia, WISDOM TOOTH is scheduled for theatrical release on November 27 exclusively via the Nationwide Alliance of Arthouse Cinemas. Besides an official selection for the Asian New Talent Awards at the 23rd Shanghai International Film Festival·(SIFF), it was also shortlisted for SIFF Project at the stage of screenwriting.
Poster of WISDOM TOOTH
WISDOM TOOTH is the debut work by LIANG Ming, who once served as assistant director in LOU Ye\'s film MYSTERY. As early as 2012, he was selected into the SIFF Project for his screenplay THE SUN THE CRUELTY OF YOUTH – the preliminary script of WISDOM TOOTH. After seven years of polishing and one year of preparation, the film is finally meeting the audience in theatres.
The film tells a story of growth that takes place in a small town of northeast China in the cold winter of 1999, from the perspective of girl Gu Xi. Gu Xi (by LV Xingchen) is about to lose her job due to her precarious situation as an immigrant. Her brother, Gu Liang (by WU Xiaoliang), also sees his job as a fishmonger threatened when an offshore oil spill contaminates his supply. He falls in love with Qing Chang (by WANG Jiajia), and then the relationship between the three becomes dangerous and ambiguous as the temperature drops. Later, a crime revealed by a mysterious tape reduces Gu Xi to repeatedly wandering around the edge of the adult world and rapidly growing up.
Slide to view more stills from WISDOM TOOTH
The name of the feature in Chinese literally means "in the sun", implying that to get rid of all troubles, you must bravely walk into the sun. While the title in English "wisdom tooth" suggests adulthood, as wisdom teeth are grown only when people reach maturity. WISDOM TOOTH attempts to capture the changing emotions between characters, inviting the audience to a fresh yet highly resonant journey of growing up.
The film is supervised by the renowned director LI Shaohong, with CHEN Xiang, producer of ANGELS WEAR WHITE, as artistic director, and MEI Feng as script supervisor. The crew is also highly experienced: cinematography director HE Shan, represented by WRATH OF SILENCE; art director HUANG Jialun; editor ZHU Lin, also editor of BLIND MASSAGE and DYING TO SURVIVE; sound directors ZHANG Jinyan and LONG Xiaozhu; soundtrack by France-based musician DING Ke; and styling director MA Hongwei, known for ALA CHANGSO.
Cast and crew at the press conference and post-screening meeting at SIFF this year
In the past year, WISDOM TOOTH has left its footprints in a number of important film festivals and exhibitions at home and abroad. In July this year, as the official selection for the Asian New Talent Awards at the 23rd SIFF, the movie was screened in Shanghai. At the press conference, director LIANG Ming looked back on how the film was born over the past eight years and said emotionally: "Fortunately, I didn\'t give up. I finally did it!"
SIFF is also a witness to the growth of the lead actress LV Xingchen. Back in 2011, at the age of 19, she won the Golden Goblet Awards for Best Actress at the 14th SIFF for her debut FOLK SONGS SINGING. In WISDOM TOOTH, with her delicate and precise performance, LV Xingchen has portrayed a girl from northeast China who gradually grows up and departs from youth and ignorance.
Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism
