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Reviews: 1 user
Ten-year-old Wo Tu dreams of having a water pistol like the other boys in his village. Even though his father promised, he fails to bring one back with him from the city. But there is one hope for Wo Tu: his dying grandfather assures him that he will grant his wish once he becomes a ghost. After his death, the old man visits the boy in his dreams and initiates a treasure hunt. Soon, the boundaries between reality and dreams, past and present, become increasingly blurred. Spanning three generations of a family in rural China, the film also paints a portrait of their profound love for the land. (Source: berlinale.de) ~~ Release Date: Feb 17, 2024 (Festival) Edit Translation
- English
- हिन्दी
- Español
- Português (Brasil)
- Native Title: 沃土
- Also Known As: Chen Ai Fei Yang , Chen Ai Zhi Shang , Wo Tu , 尘埃之上 , 尘埃飞扬
- Director: Wang Xiao Shuai
- Genres: Drama
Cast & Credits
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![Yong Mei in Above the Dust Chinese Movie]( "Yong Mei in Above the Dust Chinese Movie")
Yong Mei Main Role -
![Zu Feng in Above the Dust Chinese Movie]( "Zu Feng in Above the Dust Chinese Movie")
Zu Feng Main Role -
![Li Jun in Above the Dust Chinese Movie]( "Li Jun in Above the Dust Chinese Movie")
Li Jun Support Role -
![Wang Jing Chun in Above the Dust Chinese Movie]( "Wang Jing Chun in Above the Dust Chinese Movie")
Wang Jing Chun Support Role -
![Wang Zi Chuan in Above the Dust Chinese Movie]( "Wang Zi Chuan in Above the Dust Chinese Movie")
Wang Zi Chuan Unknown
Photos
Reviews
Ask for a water pistol, get intergenerational trauma instead
This is an odd movie. Firstly, Above the Dust isn't your usual Chinese production. Chinese film faithfuls will note the lack of dragon seal in the opening credits: the usual sign a movie has passed Chinese government film regulations (i.e. censorship).Director Wang Xiaoshuai did submit Above the Dust for review, but he ended up having it screened overseas, after the censorship process dragged on.* And I can see why regulators would take issue with the film's substance. It casts a critical eye on the cultural revolution via the viewpoint of a family descended from a rural landlord.
Second, the movie is also odd in its storytelling approach. Narrating through the eyes of a modern-day child who encounters the ghost of his grandfather is a well used narrative device. Using the kid's obsession with a water pistol as a springboard into major political themes was a clever move.
However, it felt like narrative cohesion suffered due to split focus. It touched on family betrayal, connection to land, urbanisation, and contradictions within state governance. Yet with so much to chew on, I felt the storyline didn't delve deep enough for me to digest any of this properly.
In terms of visual style, I'm not sure why, but the blanched colour grading felt grating to me after a while. I know its purpose was to emphasise the dry land and provide a dream-like quality. However, to me I felt like it was...obscuring something? I don't know. I just kept constantly wondering what the scenery really looked like.
Still unsure if I can say whether I liked this film or not. I'll need to sit with this one for a bit.
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* Source: https://variety.com/2024/film/news/wang-xiaoshuai-china-berlin-above-the-dust-1235913938/
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