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Thirteen Princess Trees
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Wikipedia article
'Thirteen Princess Trees' is a 2006 Chinese film directed by cinematographer-cum-director L Yue and based on the novel 'Blade vs. Blade' by He Dacao. The film, L's third as director was shot on digital video primarily in Chengdu, the capital of China's Sichuan province.
'Thirteen Princess Trees' was produced by Beijing Golden Skyway Media Company and the Changchun Film Studio.
The film follows several disaffected youth in the fictional Thirteen Princess High School in Chengdu. 'Feng' (Liu Xin), the film's protagonist, is a short-haired tomboy who has a love affair with the jock, 'Taotao' (Duan Bowen). With the arrival of 'Bao' (Zhao Mengqiao), a student from Beijing, Feng finds herself gravitating to the new presence.
Cast
*Liu Xin as 'Feng', a tomboy in a high school in Chengdu;
*Duan Bowen as 'Taotao', the high school jock and the object of Liu Xin's affection;
*Zhao Mengqiao as 'Bao', a transfer student from Beijing;
*Chen Keliang as 'A-Li', a privileged student under the protection of Taotao;
*Wang Jing as 'Jojo', the class monitor;
*Luo Yadan as 'Eva', a handicapped student who observes the others from afar;
*Shang Hui as 'Feng's father', a local police officer.
Release controversy
'Thirteen Princess Trees's tale of disaffected youth was already "tamed" for the authorities before even being filmed. As compared to He Dacao's original novel, much of the film's depiction of youth delinquency and sexuality was already excised.
After its win at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival, 'Thirteen Princess Trees' was set to be released throughout Asia. Originally set to be released in Mainland China on March 23, 2007, the film, at the last minute, was pulled by the China Film Bureau for a "second review." Officially the reason for the delay was said to be due to delays in the transference from digital to 35 mm film, although rumors remained that the film's depiction of sexuality and violence had caused authorities to reconsider their original "content" approval. On the other hand, 'Trees' Chinese distributor, Forbidden City Films, blamed the delay on unexpectedly tight scheduling issues.
Reception
'Thirteen Princess Trees' garnered the 'Special Jury Prize' at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival.
References
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