Goldfish (1995)
An underground or unsanctioned picture from Beijing Director Wu DI. In this light comedy a ballerina for the Beijing Dance Troop gains an opportunity to move to America where she plans to pursue her greatest dreams. As is often the case they would need to attend an interview with a U.S Consulate officer to get the visa. After a very funny interview with the Immigration official her fiancé who is but a regular guy who drives a taxi is approved and will be able to accompany her. At the last moment; just as the plane was preparing to leave Beijing, the man realizes that there will be nothing for him in America and that he might even become an impediment to his fiancé's success, so he wishes her luck and runs off the plane. The problem is; he now cant go home or he will lose face when people hear he was too afraid to go, so he fakes it. Calling from Payphones located across from his family house in Beijing he pretends that he is calling from New York and does his best to tell them just how great it is when in fact he is sleeping in a pig pen in the countryside outside Beijing. The film comically explores the issue of loss of face and the age old question, "is the grass greener over there?" It captures the essence of a then common Chinese problem; loss of face and a yearning to go beyond China from the perspective of two very different characters. In the end the ballerina returns to China; America not having been what she had imagined and she chooses to avoid loss of face by lying to her family and friends about how great America is. Eventually she meets her old fiancé in Beijing and tries to lie to him as well but he knows her too well. She finally recognizes the sacrifice he made for her in an upbeat romantic ending.
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Awards:
1 win & 1 nomination
Country:
China
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