The Great Prize

Parallel roads soaked in blue midnight lightopen this film dealing with money’s influenceon human relationships. Director Gong YingTian has placed his first feature in modernmiddle-class China. When Wang Wei wins alarge sum in a lottery, all of his friendships fallapart. Contrasting old and new throughout thefilm, the director exposes the effect of greed onhumanity. We follow Wang Wei’s emotional stateby the sound of the slide guitars that accompanyhim all through the film. But the invisible maincharacter – symbolized by an ATM machinedispensing cash that quickly swirls into the skybeyond the grasp of the people on the street – isthe booming Chinese economy. Ying Tian makesno prophesy, but leaves us with a picture at theend when all the friends stand in a circle facingeach other. What they don’t know is that the future is trapped in a trunk right next to them.Will they find it or not?

Premiere Status
International Premiere: Cast
Li Yi Xiang, Zhao Chun Yang, Ding Liu Yuan: Producer
Zheng Jun: Script
Gong Ying Tian: Cinematography
Duan Zheng Jun: Music
Liang Long: Spoken language
Chinese