Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang
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
Credits
| Original Title | Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang |
|---|---|
| Title | Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang |
| Directed by | Kaige Chen |
| Country | China |
| Year | 1991 |
| Screenplay | Chen Kaige |
| Film Editing | Pei Xiaonan |
| Soundtrack | Qu Xiaosong |
| Cinematography | Gu Changwei |
| Sound | Tao Jing |
| Costumes | |
| Production Design | |
| Production | Serene Productions; Beijing Film Studio; China Film Co-Production Corporation; Pandora Film |
| Formats | 35mm |
| Runtime | 119 min. |
| Language | Mandarin/d/f |
| Cast | Liu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing, Zhang Zhenguan, Ma Ling |
Credits
| Original Title | Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang |
|---|---|
| Title | Life on a String - Bian zou bian chang |
| Directed by | Kaige Chen |
| Country | China |
| Year | 1991 |
| Screenplay | Chen Kaige |
| Film Editing | Pei Xiaonan |
| Soundtrack | Qu Xiaosong |
| Cinematography | Gu Changwei |
| Sound | Tao Jing |
| Costumes | |
|---|---|
| Production Design | |
| Production | Serene Productions; Beijing Film Studio; China Film Co-Production Corporation; Pandora Film |
| Formats | 35mm |
| Runtime | 119 min. |
| Language | Mandarin/d/f |
| Cast | Liu Zhongyuan, Huang Lei, Xu Qing, Zhang Zhenguan, Ma Ling |
Pro Material
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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