Click blue text to follow us
Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate
China-Hong Kong, Singapore, France / 2023 / 101 minutes / Drama
Director Xiaolin Yan Online Q&A Session
# Presenter's Statement
Before the fruit vendor appears in Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate, I, like the Shandong mother played by Hu Ling, had no idea that pineapple and fengli are different fruit. This kind of expectancy violations, subtly accompanied my entire viewing experience.
The film, which tells the story of college entrance exam migrants in Hainan, does not immerse me in the lush, vibrant world of the tropics or adolescence. Instead, it confronts me with stark, black-and-white images of bare torsos and somber waves. Entering with my own understanding of exam migration, I soon discovered that this was a different narrative altogether. I had imagined exam migration as a coming-of-age ordeal, one fraught with struggles of identity following parents' legal relocations, along with the obstructive feelings of adapting to a new environment. Yet the film reveals that exam migration is not a singular phenomenon within the examination system; rather, it is a complex, stratified collection of experiences.
For the protagonist's family, taking the college entrance exam in another province is not a well-orchestrated long-term strategy but a desperate gamble driven by dire necessity. The film eschews prolonged, detailed descriptions of their living conditions, opting instead for a series of event-driven scenes that swiftly lay bare their conflicts. It avoids delving into the sprawling intricacies of the education system, honing in instead on a single, shadowy aspect of the exam-related business. I initially assumed the difference between pineapple and fengli would be a case of names diverging but substance remaining the same. Yet, by the end, even the names and the substance both prove to be misleading.
Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate（2023）
Approaching the film through the lens of a black-and-white thriller, even a quasi-horror, allowed for a clever shift between the surreal and the hyper-dramatic. The film’s intense and theatrical style effectively held my attention until the very end.
The daughter’s casually scribbled a note written "49 days until the college entrance exam" becomes a silent harbinger of doom, a ticking time bomb signaling the stakes: the limited quato and the looming deadlines, poverty and crime. Each of the mother's choices thereafter is underscored by this silent, relentless ticking, resonating with the anxiety familiar to anyone who has faced the college entrance exam.
The film projects the regional, class, and gender dimensions of the gaokao system onto the miniature canvas of a family. The single mother, Jing Wei, and her daughter, who is repeating her final year of high school, live in a cramped, urban village-style rental. By day, Jing Wei works in her brother’s newly renovated home, caring for his incapacitated mother-in-law. Ironically, the fates of her daughter and her brother's child are placed on the same scale. With the development of the story, Jing Wei and her brother's respective history of education gradually emerge, revealing an intergenerational contrast in the chains of education inequality.
Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate（2023）
The portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship is exceptionally well-crafted. The mother’s weariness and resolve are powerfully conveyed in every emotional beat. The daughter embodies a student’s righteous idealism, balanced with an innocent hedonism and an undercurrent of stubborn competitiveness. Their interactions, along with the close-up shots of physical gestures, vividly capture the twisted expressions of "love", conveyed through violent words and harsh movements. The film seamlessly transitions between intense, unfiltered emotion and tender, nuanced care, evoking a sense of horror caused by schizophrenia often found in thrillers, yet grounded in the everyday reality of a Chinese family. It’s a story from the "Little Smart Phone" generation that remains deeply relevant today.
The film raises the question of whether pineapple and fengli are the same fruit. Initial, superficial online information suggests they are different, warning shoppers to choose wisely to avoid being misled. But with further digging, one enters a murky realm of contradictions: they are both the same and not the same, depending on context. Biologically, they belong to the same genus and share a common plant ancestor. Yet, due to differences in cultivation history and regional preferences, they do have distinct textures and flavors. Fengli has been domesticated, losing its spikes and the mouth-irritating enzyme called bromelain. These differences shape how they are marketed and priced. While the riddle of this film is straightforward, the answer of it is exquisitely precise.
# Film Synopsis
In a small county town in Shandong Province in 2008, Jing Wei, a mother, struggles to make ends meet while raising her daughter Jin Miao. Jin Miao's college entrance examination (Gaokao) is their only way out of their predicament. However, even after repeating a year of study, she still cannot pass even a vocational college entrance exam in a highly competitive province like Shandong.
In their local area, "Gaokao immigration" is a common but unspoken practice. By chance, Jing Wei seizes the opportunity to arrange for Jin Miao to take the Gaokao in Hainan. There, Jin Miao can easily get into a prestigious university.
Jing Wei tirelessly runs around, facing numerous obstacles, but finally manages to complete the procedures for the gaokao immigration. As they await the arrival of the examination, an unexpected crisis unfolds in the exam hall in a way they never anticipated, presenting a greater danger to the mother and daughter...
Trailer
# Film Festival Awards, Noms, & Screenings
2024 FIRST International Film Festival "FIRST FRAME " Section
# Director's Introduction
Xiaolin Yan
Born in 1988, Yan Xiaolin is a director/writer working and living in Beijing. He never went to film school.
His past screenplay "A Family with Troubles" was selected at HAF Lab in 2018 and was also one of the top ten finalists at the Young Director Support Program organized by the China Film Directors Guild.
Filmography
Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate，2023
The Years I Watch Hong Kong Movies，2017
# Director's Statement
Stories of battling against fate are always particularly captivating, encompassing resilience and struggle, as well as irony and mockery.
The college entrance examination (Gaokao) is practically the only legitimate path for ordinary families to change their destinies. In a country like China, where regional development is imbalanced, there are significant differences in Gaokao policies across different areas. This has given rise to the phenomenon of "Gaokao immigration," where families with money and connections exploit loopholes to achieve their goals.
The story revolves around a mother who lacks the means to pursue this path but seeks to change her and her daughter's fate through the illegitimate means of "Gaokao immigration."
The film follows the mother's perspective, resembling a game-like obstacle course where each hurdle requires her to break her own moral principles. Ultimately, she realizes that she cannot ignore the life of another child for the sake of her own.
If one isn't ruthless enough, it is difficult to change one's destiny.
# Event Registration
Add WeChat ID.
˃ This screening is authorized by the director.
˃ Limited space, only 20 seats available.
˃ Registration fees cover the film's copyright fee and event expenses.
˃ No refunds after ticket purchase; please transfer tickets on your own. Thank you for understanding.
# Event Information
Time
2024/11/10 19:30-21:45
Location
Tokyo, Chuo City, Nihonbashiningyōchō,
1-chōme−6−10 ユニコム人形町ビル 9f
Fee
1000 JPY per person
Schedule
19:00 - 19:30 check-in
19:30 - 21:11 Screening
21:15 - 21:45 Discussion
# Guidelines
Please provide the correct phone number when purchasing tickets.
Arrive 30 minutes early to verify your identity at the front desk and collect your ticket. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
The use of self-illuminating devices (e.g., computers, phones, flashlights) is prohibited during the event, as is recording the screen or making loud noises. Latecomers, please refrain from using flash photography.
No refunds after ticket purchase; please transfer tickets on your own. Thank you for your understanding.
Coordination Mubai, Xigua | Written Suica
Layout Mubai | Proofreading Vic
Venue Mubai, Xigua, Shan, Zhizu
Project of Bad apple is a screening organization founded in Fuzhou. Bad apples are often seen as useless, but they have stories of their own. These apples may have once been full of life, but at some point, they underwent changes and lost their original state. Much like us in life, we too face changes and challenges, but that doesn’t mean we’ve lost our value. Let’s come together at the Bad Apple Screening to explore the limitless possibilities of life.
706 Tokyo was established in early 2022 as the Tokyo branch of the global network of the 706 community. It aims to break down barriers in this city, where people often seem naturally distanced from one another, by exploring diverse lifestyles, sharing sparks of ideas, and creating a warm, small community. We have organized casual and engaging events on topics like AI, co-living, science fiction, and art, fostering deeper connections among participants. As a co-creative community, we encourage partners based in Tokyo to initiate activities they are interested in and welcome everyone to join freely.
Directube is an art film information platform from Beijing and Shanghai, focusing on content such as director speeches, interviews, film courses, screening events, written works, film festival updates, and in-depth reports. Additionally, it hosts its own offline art film screenings and academic activities across the country. The total number of subscriptions across various platforms exceeds 2 million.
