Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang

by Kaige Chen, China, 1991
Picture of
DVD

A blind master wanders through a mythic landscape of a terrific beauty to play his songs and sing his ballads. His whole life he's had one hope, one dream of another world: According to a prophecy he shall be able to see, if he has broken 1000 of his banjo strings. His blind disciple, on the contrary, doesn't want to rely on one hope. He longs for a woman's love. Does sight await the saint when the 1000th string breaks? Can the disciple's strength of character overcome provincial prejudice to win the hand of his love and a place in the village?

Festivals & awards

Istanbul Filmfestival
Golden Tulip

Filmfestival Cannes
Competition

artwork

Credits

Original TitleLife on a String - Bian zou bian chang
TitleLife on a String - Bian zou bian chang
Directed byKaige Chen
CountryChina
Year1991
ScreenplayChen Kaige
Film EditingPei Xiaonan
SoundtrackQu Xiaosong
CinematographyGu Changwei
SoundTao Jing
Costumes
Production Design
ProductionSerene Productions; Beijing Film Studio; China Film Co-Production Corporation; Pandora Film
Formats35mm
Runtime119 min.
LanguageMandarin/d/f
CastLiu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing, Zhang Zhenguan, Ma Ling

Credits

Original TitleLife on a String - Bian zou bian chang
TitleLife on a String - Bian zou bian chang
Directed byKaige Chen
CountryChina
Year1991
ScreenplayChen Kaige
Film EditingPei Xiaonan
SoundtrackQu Xiaosong
CinematographyGu Changwei
SoundTao Jing
Costumes
Production Design
ProductionSerene Productions; Beijing Film Studio; China Film Co-Production Corporation; Pandora Film
Formats35mm
Runtime119 min.
LanguageMandarin/d/f
CastLiu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing, Zhang Zhenguan, Ma Ling

Pro Material

artwork artwork artwork artwork artwork

Would you like to show this movie?

Please fill out our form.

Date(s) of screening Screening(s)
Organisation

Press voices

«Véritable poésie cinématographique, film aux nombreux superlatifs visuels avec, en toile de fond, les paysages sauvages et impressionnants de la Mongolie intérieure.» Variety

«'Life on a string' est un conte merveilleux, d'une très grande beauté plastique, qui raconte l'itinéraire d'un «saint» jusqu'au dernier niveau du nirvana spirituel.» Le Quotidien de Paris

«Auch ich glaube, dass jeder Mensch ein Ziel vor Augen braucht. Doch was für ein Ziel auch immer wir anstreben, am Ende ist es nur ein leeres Stück Papier. Beim Tode wird man zurückdenken, an viele Dinge, die in der Vergangenheit geschehen sind... Wenn man mit Freude gelebt hat und wirklich etwas Gutes getan hat, dann reicht das schon, das ist der ganze Sinn des Lebens; man braucht ein Ziel vor Augen, aber es ist nicht nötig, dieses Ziel zu erreichen.» Chen Kaige