Based on Wrier/Director
Yang Zhang’s personal experiences, SUNFLOWER revolves around the
relationship between a father and son in an ordinary Beijing
family. The son’s name “Xiangyang” means “Facing the Sun”.
His father gave him the name at birth in 1967 because sunflowers were
growing outside the door of their courtyard home. Centered on the
tensions and misunderstandings between father and son, the film focuses
on three particular years in their lives: 1976, 1987 and 1999.
FESTIVALS:
Toronto International Film Festival; Chicago International Film
Festival; San Sebastian Film Festival; Pusan International Film
Festival - Window on Asian Cinema; Hong Kong International Film
Festival; Bangkok International Film Festival, - Windows on the World;
Tokyo International Film Festival; Pacific Rim Film Festival
AWARDS:
San Sebastián International Film Festival, Best Cinematography;
Silver Seashell Best Director, Yang Zhang
“With a commanding
performance by Sun Haiying as the unbending, ornery father, and a
glammed-down Joan Chen remarkable as the boy's devoted mom, pic serves
up solid dramatic values instead of being yet another panorama of
social and political changes in China during the late 20th
century.” Variety.com
“Sunflower” parallels the upheavals in Zhang Yang’s life with those of
his country, exploring the tension between tradition and modernity with
insight and intimacy.” NY Times
Distributor: New Yorker Films
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 129 Minutes
Country: Hong Kong/China/Netherlands
Language: Mandarin w/English Subtitles
