2020 has been a hectic year, but I was lucky to have the time for some great films that revived my spirit, and accompanied me through the difficult time. Here is a very short list of what I watched in 2020.
This is a documentary of the poet: 痖弦 / Yaxian. His poems, using the simplest and honest language, fill my heart with the utmost calmness. His poems usually read melancholy but, at the same time, full of hope. In this documentary, he read some of his own poems out in the background. His voice is soft and deep, comforting and caring. Watch this with a cup of hot black tea, you would be homesick while feeling home. This documentary, as far as I know, does not have English subtitles.
This is a documentary of the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States: Ruth Bader Ginsberg. We lost her on September 18, 2020. Yet her legacy would continue to inspire generations to come. Throughout this year, there have been heated discussion over gender discrimination and women’s rights on Internet platforms that are widely used by Chinese. On the one side, I am happy to see an awakening generation. Yet obiously we have a very long way to go before we reach the consensus, as Justice Ginsberg describes, where gender equality does not only benefit women but also men (Weinberger_v._Wiesenfeld).
This is a documentary with 12 episodes, depicting 12 different stages of life, from born to death. The documentary was shoot in Shanghai, so the portrayal does not necessarily represents the vast majority. However, the cheerful and delightful messages, sent through the glimpses of different people’s life, reminded me once again the meaning of family, the happiness of being and having a great life companion, and the importance of staying healthy, mentally and physically. The documentary has very well translated official English subtitles, Episodes 9-12 are my favorite.
Both directed by 周浩 / Hao Zhou, they recorded the real life of Chinese polititians. Hao Zhou, a former journalist, currently a writer and director, penetrates different corners of the society and has produced many documentaries in his career, most of which focus on the social problems in China.
Directed by 李一凡 / Yifan Li, it portays the ‘SMART’ communities which were known by their hairstyles and fashion. It is a shared memory for Chinese teenagers in early 2000’s, yet it is through this documentary I see the motivation and reality behind this subculture.
“Shamate don’t understand the world, nor does the outside world understand shamate,” says director Li Yifan of the subject of his new documentary, a wildly controversial subculture that emerged in China in the late ’00s. His film, We Were Smart (杀马特, 我爱你), gives a rare look into the life and struggles of this group of marginalized, often poor rural youths through their own accounts. It has helped reopen old wounds and spark conversations around class and conformity, over a decade on from the vicious takedown that marked the end of the shamate movement. (Shunned, Shattered, Shamate: A New Film Spotlights China’s Most Hated Subculture)
Directed by Richard Linklater, starred by Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, the ‘Before Trilogy’ depicts the story of a couple over 20 years. I watched ‘Before Midnight’ back in undergraduate university film festival. This year, I watch the first two, and of course, the third one once again. It was surprising how they discuss all my confusions about relationship through the long talking scenes. I appreciate how sincere, hardworking, and authentic the director, the writers and the actors were during the making of the trilogy.
Directed and written by Noah Baumbach, it is an ‘incisive and compassionate look at a marriage breaking up and a family staying together’. While divorce is common nowadays, keeping in touch for the sake of children is essential. I believe a one-time successful marriage is not a wishful thinking, there does exist situation where personal development, career planning and relationship conflict each other. In every relationship, sacrifice is inevitable. If divorce has to happen, then we have to work the best out of the situation.
It is a warm story happened on Christmas Eve, and I watched it with my friend on the Christmas Eve this year. The story took place in Bedford Falls, New York, where we happened to drive by on a previous trip. This adds some cuteness to the film for us. Sometimes we ignore and devalue the positive impact we had on others. This film tells how magnificent those impacts can be, and reminds us to appreciate ourselves.
“I think our love can do anything we want it to.”
My first time to watch this all-time classic. Tears.
Recently it occurred to me that my appreciation toward a piece of art depends heavily on what I am going through, either work-wisely or relationship-wisely. The films that resolve my confusion or relieve my anxiety are old friends of mine, who I can talk to whenever I feel hopeless.
When time does the magic to heal ourselves from the past, watch some heartwarming films! There is true love you can choose to believe in, and so much more in life you can appreciate.