Renowned Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye’s latest work “An Unfinished Film” was specially screened at the Cannes Film Festival recently. The film touched on the sensitive topic of the “Wuhan lockdown” during the pandemic in mainland China, causing applause from Chinese audience members at the event who praised Lou Ye’s talent.
The movie stars Chinese actors Qin Hao, Huang Xuan, and Liang Ming, depicting the situation of the lockdown in Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film’s producer, Philip Bober, scriptwriter Ma Yingli, director Lou Ye, as well as lead actors Qin Hao and Huang Xuan, all attended Cannes for promotion.
The story revolves around a film crew wanting to complete a movie that had been delayed for ten years due to certain circumstances. However, shortly after the crew arrived in Wuhan for an outdoor shoot, the city was placed under lockdown due to the outbreak. In the film, Huang Xuan’s character, a male lead, manages to leave before the lockdown, while Qin Hao and other characters are unable to escape in time, forced to stay in Wuhan and witness the reality of the situation. Aside from the fictional storyline, the movie also includes real documentary footage.
During an interview at Cannes, Lou Ye stated, “I hope that situation remains preserved in the film, including the silly things, the stupid things, the happy things, and the very sad things.” However, he avoided directly mentioning the phrase “lockdown” in the interview, attempting to present the storyline as light-hearted and authentic. Nevertheless, the film’s portrayal of the Chinese government’s lockdown during the pandemic has sparked controversy, as it unavoidably touches on sensitive issues related to the Chinese government’s actions.
Following the screening of “An Unfinished Film” at the Cannes Film Festival, Lou Ye received a warm welcome from European and Chinese audiences, while Qin Hao also garnered applause.
Furthermore, due to the film’s sensitive portrayal of the “Wuhan lockdown” and other related issues, all reviews of the movie on Douban, a popular Chinese film review platform, have been deleted.
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