International Premiere
A feel-good story with a sociological bent, All Ears is the kind of drama that triggers introspective journeys and three-hour conversations. Wen Shan (Hu Ge, The Wild Goose Lake), a failed screenwriter still in love with telling stories, finds a position writing obituaries. The job goes beyond merely finding a narrative. Wen must spin people’s flaws into virtues, deal with contrasting and fragmented testimonies, and find coherence where there is none. A compassionate listener, Wen aims to give meaning to the lives of the deceased, a thankless and often misunderstood task. Writing obituaries helps him get over his own hang ups and build a richer life than the one he thought he wanted.
While the subject of death can be a heavy load for a film, writer-director Jiayin Liu (Oxhide I and II) approaches it with a lightness of touch and sense of humor that allows her to delve into darker territory, much like her documentary work. There are no narrative shenanigans, twists, or complex antiheroes to be found. Just a compelling story warmly told.
Best Actor, Shanghai Film Festival 2023
Media Partner
HU Ge
China
2023
Panorama
In Mandarin with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits
Executive Producer
Cao Baoping
Producer
Mao Chuxiao, Liang Tongyu
Screenwriter
Liu Jiayin
Cinematography
Zhou Wencao
Editor
Yan Yiping
Original Music
Hank Lee
Director
Liu Jiayin
Writer-director Liu Jiayin, a Beijing Film Academy (BFA) graduate and current Associate Professor in Screenwriting, is known for her unique cinematic style and thematic focus in China’s independent filmmaking. Her auteur films Oxhide and Oxhide II have been screened in many international film festivals, including Berlin International Film Festival, and have been widely acclaimed by film critics as well as audiences.
Filmography: Oxhide (2005); Oxhide II (2009)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Where to Land
Hal Hartley's first new film in a decade is a melancholy farce about mortality and what we'll call "late middle-age". Bill Sage is a semi-retired filmmaker who isn't dying faster than the rest of us but who behaves like he might be.
The Secret Agent
Having run afoul of an influential bureaucrat in Brazil’s military dictatorship circa 1977, Marcelo decamps to Recife to live under an assumed name — but he’ll soon come to understand precisely how rampant the country’s corruption has become.
The Ice Tower
In Lucile Hadžihalilović's spellbinding fantasy drama, an orphan (Clara Pacini) becomes enthralled by a movie star (Marion Cotillard) playing the Snow Queen in a fairy tale film adaptation. Winner of the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Contribution.
La Grazia
A contemplative, mournful but richly imagined movie about a retiring Italian President (Toni Servillo from The Great Beauty) facing two thorny ethical decisions that may define his legacy.
Image: © Andrea Pirrello
The Blue Star
In crisis, a popular singer quits Spain to backpack in Argentina. There he comes under the spell of a veteran musician, who teaches him the art of chacareras, zambas and vidalas. It's a journey of musical kinship and spiritual reawakening.