Zhu Shilin

Famed director Zhu Shilin tries his hand at a horror film! The beginning of The Living Corpse immediately sets the tone with a folk duet clearly inspired by the popular 1956 musical Songs of the Peach Blossom River. The duet, in addition to Zhu's frequent use of long, empty shots and crisp editing, gives this horror film a traditional poetic charm and a strong folk flavor. Mise-en-scene and sound effects create a terrifying atmosphere, and successfully communicate the ghostliness of a world without ghosts.

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Orphan He Yongnian was brought up by Zheng Mu, the owner of a small shop, and he was childhood sweetheart with Zheng's daughter Jingqin. Yongnian and Jingqin's love roots have been planted early, Jingqin helps everywhere, and Yongnian is very grateful. After Yongnian graduated, he was appreciated by the boss of the trading company, Leung. Jingqin's mother and daughter supported him. Boss Leung's daughter Dai Ni is attracted by Yong Nian and starts pursuing him. Yongnian's heart is attached to Jingqin, but he is afraid of offending Dai Ni, so he reluctantly entertains. Seduced by Dai Ni, Yongnian gradually yearns for a higher life, ignoring Zheng's mother and daughter...

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After her husband's death in a car accident, Fang must endure the fury of her mother-in-law.

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Two couple doubt their partners are having affairs with another, so they try their best to find out the truth.

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A financially struggling office worker goes into debt in order to afford traditional holiday gifts for his boss and landlord. Part of Hong Kong Film Awards' 100 Best Chinese Movies.

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A 50's Chinese film that reflects the post-war society, expresses idealism and pleads to return to the homeland.

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Premiering on August 15, 1952, Fei Mu's unfinished posthumous work.

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A wedding musician fails to wed his own love: Little Trumpet is raring to marry his childhood sweetheart, but a series of setbacks has prevented them from getting their way. Criticism against social formalities becomes all the more forceful with the clever use of contrast and irony, not to mention the realist and comedic touch a la Zhu Shilin. Of special mention is the famous teahouse scene where dynamic, melodic camerawork creates a hilarity that continues to amaze to this day. A genuine masterpiece with every single detail, down to the minor props, forming an integral part of a whole. Today, young couples are struggling nonetheless to get a roof over their heads, a testimony to the fact that poverty still reigns beneath the facade of harmony and stability after all these years.

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A Chinese drama

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The film focused on a conflict between Empress Dowager Cixi, her son Guangxi (the nominal emperor) and his wife, Zhen Fei.

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The Goddess (1934) is remade once again. In this version, Zhu Shilin tackles the anxiety concerning the clash of 20th century Chinese traditions and modern Western culture. Despite her father’s strict discipline, Fun still manages to have a boyfriend secretly and give birth to twins. After leaving her son to her father, she takes off with her daughter. Twenty years later, Fun has become a streetwalker. The three generations finally come face-to-face at the police station. Her father laments that his generation should be ousted while Fun’s generation has been sacrificed, leaving the future for the next generation to establish. Zhu carefully depicts the shame of selling one’s body without passing judgment while he finds balance and reflects on the pain in the age of progress. Even though the production was far from lavish, Zhu’s astute handling of the narrative and mise-en-scène makes this a vivid and exciting film to watch.

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This movie is a pre-revolutionary era cultural introspection work that was way too ahead of its time, and consequently, performed poorly in the box office. The movie challenged the tow thousand years long traditional rigid Confucian teachings about husbands and wives by introducing the idea of gender equality in a very subtle way.

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The life and story of Lin Zexu and the First Opium War.

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The film tells the story of Bai Xiongmin's maid, Mei Xiang, who was raped by Bai Xiongmin's father, Bai Jiankang, and who was forced to become a prostitute after the war broke out.

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Three stories about art stages. "Film City", "Drama Group" and "Dance Class".

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"Lianhua Symphony" - a small collection, consisting of eight short films shot in 1937 by young filmmakers Shanghai Lianhua Film Company. Part 1: Two Yuans (兩毛錢) directed by Situ Huimin / Part 2: Nightmares in Spring Chamber (春閨斷夢) directed by Fei Mu / Part 3: The Stranger (陌生人) directed by Tan Youliu / Part 4: Three Friends (三人行) directed by Shen Fu / Part 5: Landscape Under the Moonlight (月下小景) directed by He Mengfu / Part 6: The Ghost (鬼) directed by Zhu Shilin / Part 7: Rhapsody of a Madman (瘋人狂想曲) directed by Sun Yu / Part 8: Five Little Brothers (小五義) directed by Cai Chusheng

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A Chinese film

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A rich businessman's family is in straitened circumstances. He has a son and four daughters, but only the youngest daughter lives a positive life.

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