Summer Palace
Cast: Xueyun Bai, Lin Cui, Long Duan, Xiadong Guo, Lei Hao, Ling Hu, Chi Le, Xianmin ZhangDirector: Ye Lou
Writers: Ye Lou, Feng Mei, Ma Yingli
Producers: Sylvain Bursztejn,
Li Fang, Ye Lou, An Nai
Co-Producer: Helge Albers
Art Direction: Weixin Liu, Dorothee von Bodelschwingh
Costume Design: Katja Kirn
D.O.P.: Qing Hua
Editor: Ye Lou, Jian Zeng
Music: Peyman Yazdanian
Production Design: Weixin Liu
Country girl Yu Hong leaves her village, her family and her lover to study in Beijing. At university, she discovers an intense world of sexual freedom and forbidden pleasure. Enraptured, compulsive, she falls madly in love with fellow student Zhou Wei. Driven by obsessive passions they can neither understand nor control, their relationship becomes one of dangerous games - betrayals, recriminations, provocations - as all around them, their fellow students begin to demonstrate, demanding democracy and freedom. Protests collapse, and Yu and Zhou lose each other amidst the social chaos and panicked crowds.
Zhou Wei is sent to a summer military camp, and on his release moves to Berlin, fleeing both his country and memories of Yu. She finds a job, a lover, but can not forget Zhou. In Germany, social unrest is mounting: calls for freedom, demonstrations for democracy. A familiar story for Zhou. Weary, still haunted by Yu, he returns to China as the Berlin Wall crashes down. He finds her at last, in a small town. From evening to dawn, their future stretches before them, two changed souls in a changed world.
Zhou Wei is sent to a summer military camp, and on his release moves to Berlin, fleeing both his country and memories of Yu. She finds a job, a lover, but can not forget Zhou. In Germany, social unrest is mounting: calls for freedom, demonstrations for democracy. A familiar story for Zhou. Weary, still haunted by Yu, he returns to China as the Berlin Wall crashes down. He finds her at last, in a small town. From evening to dawn, their future stretches before them, two changed souls in a changed world.
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Film Format: 35mm
Filming Locations: Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Chongqing, China; Wuhan, China
Production Budget: $2.5 million
Production Companies: Centre National de la Cinématographie,
Dream Factory, Flying Moon Filmproduktion, Fonds Sud Cinéma, Laurel Films,
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Norman Rosemont Productions,
Rosem Films, Rose Line Productions, Studio Babelsberg, X-Filme Creative Pool
Web Sites: Official Site - The IMDb
Film Format: 35mm
Filming Locations: Beijing, China; Berlin, Germany; Chongqing, China; Wuhan, China
Production Budget: $2.5 million
Production Companies: Centre National de la Cinématographie,
Dream Factory, Flying Moon Filmproduktion, Fonds Sud Cinéma, Laurel Films,
Ministère des Affaires Étrangères, Norman Rosemont Productions,
Rosem Films, Rose Line Productions, Studio Babelsberg, X-Filme Creative Pool
Web Sites: Official Site - The IMDb
- In September of 2006, director Lou Ye was barred from making movies for five years because the film incorporated footage of the Tiananmen Square demonstrations and wasn't screened for Chinese officials. The Chinese government also demanded that all copies of the film be confiscated.
- Lou, however, has stated that the reason for the ban was for "technical reasons" in that the film was not up to the Beijing Film Bureau's standards for picture and sound quality.
- Was the only Asian film selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in 2006.
- Lou, however, has stated that the reason for the ban was for "technical reasons" in that the film was not up to the Beijing Film Bureau's standards for picture and sound quality.
- Was the only Asian film selected to compete for the Palme d'Or in 2006.
10 February 2007: Hong Kong
18 April 2008: France
3 May 2008: Singapore
23 August 2008: Netherlands
13 September 2008: South Korea
5 December 2008: Belgium
18 April 2008: France
3 May 2008: Singapore
23 August 2008: Netherlands
13 September 2008: South Korea
5 December 2008: Belgium