BUDDHA MOUNTAIN

观音山

Director: LI, Yu Cast: Sylvia CHANG, FAN Bingbing, CHEN Bolin

At one point in this film, three youngsters lost in the countryside wait at a railway station called “Buddha Mountain” for a train without knowing if any will ever come. Alienated by society and their families, they move together into the home of a retired Peking opera performer. The carefree tenants and rigid landlady expose not only their conflicting lifestyles but also everyone’s painful past. They gradually learn to embrace and find strength in each other despite divisions. On a trip to a remote village, a monk asks for their help to rebuild a temple among ruins from the 2008 Schechuan earthquake. The labor turns into a ritual for them to move on. This reunion of China’s prominent female filmmaker Li Yu and the iconic star Fan Bingbing after Lost in Beijing is graced by Taiwan’s cinematic treasure Sylvia Chang. With an exuberant and haunting story, she inquires how individuals reconstruct their inner selves facing impermanence in all forms.

AWARDS

Best Artistic Contribution,Best Actress,Tokyo International Film Festival

Best Film, Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival

Best Asian Feature, Singapore International Film Festival

Official Selection, Vancouver International Film Festival

Official Selection, New York Asian Film Festival

Nominee, Best Leading Actress, Taiwan Golden Horse Awards

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“free and unexpected, real and raw, “Buddha Mountain” is the kind of movie I dream of seeing every time I sit down in a theater... the kind that stays with me long after the lights have dimmed and brightened...Never rushed and always sensitive, Li Yu paints a breathtaking, melancholy, trembling picture of the joys and sorrows that thrives in modern China today across generations.”
— Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com

NOW ON VOD

“Each of those dreamy montages is a thing of rough, yet breathtaking beauty... a solid, rewarding little drama well worth anyone’s time and comes recommended.”
— Matthew Lee, Screen Anarchy
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“an enjoyable, gentle and touching tale, skillfully told by the emerging Li Yu.”
— Sabina Pasaniuc, CineVue
“...helmer Li Yu reaches an Asian indie apex with her earthy, energetic drama.”
— Russel Edwards, Variety
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“...a treat not commonly found in mainstream Asian cinema.”
— Elizabeth Kerr, Hollywood Reporter
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