One evening in the 1980s, Qiu Fu, a leading clown-role actor in 20th-century Sichuan opera, departs this world and must reluctantly leave for the Ghost City under the escort of two underworld officials. Along the way, he meets old friends and as they recall the past, earthly scenes creep into the mists of the Netherworld. Qiu Fu’s life in opera unfolds against the backdrop of a secular upheaval. The ‘New-New’ Troupe in which he grows up and learns his trade is affiliated with the military. As power shifts, the troupe is cast loose to wander rootlessly through a broken world. Despite this unsettled destiny, shaped by war, famine and political turmoil, Qiu Fu becomes one of the finest clown-role performers in Sichuan opera. And yet, one day he finds himself clapped in a pigsty as a political revolution rages outside. Outside the Ghost City, sitting among familiar faces, Qiu Fu drinks the mandatory bowl of Forgetfulness Soup to erase his memory. A lifetime of hardship, pain and sorrow, all vanish as if they had never been.
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Festival Appearances
Locarno International Film Festival 2021 – Special Jury Prize
International Film Festival of Kerala 2022
Three Continents Festival, Nantes 2021 – Young Jury Award
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Qiu Jiongjiong
Qiu Jiongjiong, born in 1977, is an active contemporary artist and filmmaker in China. His work as an artist has been exhibited worldwide. As a filmmaker, his experiments with the cinematic language and aesthetics of documentary filmmaking have earned him a reputation as one of China’s most important independent directors. His experimental/documentary feature, Mr. Zhang Believes (2015), premiered at the Locarno International Film Festival and was screened internationally. A New Old Play is his first fiction feature.
Sat, 5 Nov | 7:00 pm | Picture Time 1