Grain in Ear
Encyclopedia
Grain in Ear is a 2005
Chinese
film
written and directed by Korean Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lü
(Chinese: 張律; Hangul: 장률). The title
refers to the solar term
in the traditional calendars of China and Korea.
ancestry. A single mother bringing up a young son, she lives away from her hometown, and makes a living by selling kimchi
. In the course of living her life, she meets three men who betray her. When her son dies in an accident, she decides to take revenge.
, yet just on the edge of farmland."
, comprising about 2.7 million citizens. Korean Chinese are spread throughout the country, and their group situation is consequently invisible to other Chinese, though many have difficulties integrating into society. Televised folklore celebrations and popular Korean foods such as the world-famous kimchi
serve as one of the few common reminders of Korean Chinese culture for other Chinese. Zhang, in his brutal focus on the challenges of assimilation for his native ethnic group, explains that "his film is essentially anti- terrorist. Not at all in the way of Bush
’s political agenda, but on the scale of everyday life, how we as humans terrorise those around us."
SOURCE: Korean Film Council, UCLA
2005 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005...
Chinese
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
written and directed by Korean Chinese filmmaker Zhang Lü
Zhang Lu
Zhang Lu was a warlord during the late Han Dynasty period of Chinese history. He was also the third leader of the Celestial Masters, a Taoist religious group...
(Chinese: 張律; Hangul: 장률). The title
Mangzhong
The traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms . Mángzhǒng or more commonly pronounced as Mángzhòng, or Bōshu is the 9th solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 75° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 90°...
refers to the solar term
Solar term
A solar term is any of 24 points in traditional East Asian lunisolar calendars that matches a particular astronomical event or signifies some natural phenomenon. The points are spaced 15° apart along the ecliptic and are used by lunisolar calendars to stay synchronized with the seasons. Solar terms...
in the traditional calendars of China and Korea.
Plot
Cui Shun-ji is a Chinese woman of KoreanKorean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
ancestry. A single mother bringing up a young son, she lives away from her hometown, and makes a living by selling kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
. In the course of living her life, she meets three men who betray her. When her son dies in an accident, she decides to take revenge.
Location
Grain in Ear was filmed in a small industrial town, an area 45 minutes' drive away from BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, yet just on the edge of farmland."
Theme
Grain in Ear examines the interplay of sex, economics, social class and race in a newly industrialized Chinese provincial backwater. Korean Chinese are one of the recognized ethnic minorities in ChinaEthnic minorities in China
Ethnic minorities in China are the non-Han Chinese population in the People's Republic of China. The People's Republic of China officially recognizes 55 ethnic minority groups within China in addition to the Han majority. As of 2010, the combined population of officially recognised minority...
, comprising about 2.7 million citizens. Korean Chinese are spread throughout the country, and their group situation is consequently invisible to other Chinese, though many have difficulties integrating into society. Televised folklore celebrations and popular Korean foods such as the world-famous kimchi
Kimchi
Kimchi , also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings. There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber. It is the most common...
serve as one of the few common reminders of Korean Chinese culture for other Chinese. Zhang, in his brutal focus on the challenges of assimilation for his native ethnic group, explains that "his film is essentially anti- terrorist. Not at all in the way of Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
’s political agenda, but on the scale of everyday life, how we as humans terrorise those around us."
Festival appearances and awards
- 2005 Pusan International Film FestivalPusan International Film FestivalBusan International Film Festival , held annually in Haeundae-gu, Busan , South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia...
: Best Film - 2005 Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film FestivalThe Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
: The 44th International Critics Week, Prix ACID du meilleur - 2005 Pesaro Film Festival: Concorso PNC
- 2005 Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
: Dragons and Tigers - 2005 Thessaloniki International Film FestivalThessaloniki International Film FestivalThe Thessaloniki International Film Festival has become one of the Balkans' primary showcases for the work of new and emerging filmmakers...
: International Competition - 2005 Osian's - Cinefan, Festival of Asian & Arab Cinema: ASIAN FRESCOES
- 2005 Chicago International Film FestivalChicago International Film FestivalThe Chicago International Film Festival is an annual film festival held every fall. Founded in 1964, it is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America....
: New Directors - 2006 San Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalSan Francisco International Asian American Film FestivalThe San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
- 2006 Seattle International Film FestivalSeattle International Film FestivalThe Seattle International Film Festival , held annually in Seattle, Washington since 1976, is among the top film festivals in North America. Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 festival had 160,000 attendees...
: New Directors Competition, Special Jury Prize - 2006 Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian CinemaVesoul International Film Festival of Asian CinemaThe Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema is an annual special-interest film festival focusing on the cinemas of Asia. The festival is held annually in Vesoul, France. It was created in 1995 by Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne who have been codirecting the festival since...
: Golden Cyclo Award - 2006 International Film Festival Innsbruck: Province of Tyrol Award
- 2006 Durban International Film FestivalDurban International Film FestivalThe Durban International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. It is one of the oldest and largest film festival in Southern African and presents over 200 screenings celebrating the best in South African, African and...
: Best Direction, Best Actress - 2006 Cinema Novo Festival, Competition: Karibu Award
- 2006 Barcelona Asian Film Festival: Official Section, Gold Durian Award
- 2006 Leeds International Film FestivalLeeds International Film FestivalThe Leeds International Film Festival is the largest film festival in England outside London. Held in November at various venues throughout Leeds, West Yorkshire it shows over 200 films from around the world, commercial and independent....
: Official Selection - 2006 Brisbane International Film FestivalBrisbane International Film FestivalBrisbane International Film Festival held in Brisbane provides a focus for film culture in Queensland, Australia. The festival has taken place since 1992 and focuses on films from the Asia-Pacific region. The event offers films including features, documentaries, shorts, experimental, silent films...
- 2006 Film Independent's Los Angeles Film FestivalLos Angeles Film FestivalThe Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
: International Showcase - 2006 International Film Festival of Asia Pacific countries in Vladivostok: China in Focus
- 2006 Mar del Plata International Film Festival: Foreign Visions, Point of View
- 2006 INDIE LISBOA: Competition
- 2006 BLACK MOVIE festival de films des autres mondes: Bodies, A Chronicle
- 2006 Arsenals International Film Forum, KIM & Chi: The South Side
- 2006 Paris Cinema: New Korean Cinemas
SOURCE: Korean Film Council, UCLA
See also
- Koreans in China
- Chinese cinema
- Korean cinema
- Korean cuisine
- Social realismSocial realismSocial Realism, also known as Socio-Realism, is an artistic movement, expressed in the visual and other realist arts, which depicts social and racial injustice, economic hardship, through unvarnished pictures of life's struggles; often depicting working class activities as heroic...
External links
- Grain in Ear 망종 (芒種) (Mang-jong) at Hancinema Korean Movie Database
- Grain in Ear at the Chinese Movie Database
- Trailer
- Grain in Ear at the UCLA New Chinese Cinema Series