Zhang Lu

Divorced food critic Gu Wentong finds out where the father he had lost contact with as a child is now living. Meanwhile, he begins a relationship with a younger colleague. People come close and move away, but the images and sounds remain to bear witness.

Divorced food critic Gu Wentong finds out where the father he had lost contact with as a child is now living. Meanwhile, he begins a relationship with a younger colleague. People come close and move away, but the images and sounds remain to bear witness.

The Element of Hope is the story of a man who is completely cut off from the world and lives a life of isolation as if he were part of the house. He is looking for a job but does not seem hopeful. The only person he meets every day is his wife. However, communication between him and his wife is hard. His wife thinks their relationship has no hope. His wife, who is a faculty member at the university, appears to be dating another man.

While preparing to shut down the photo studio business that he has been running, a man hears that someone named Chulsu has died.

A pair of brothers from Beijing went to Yanagawa, Japan. Trying to find the girl they both loved in their youth.

A pair of brothers from Beijing went to Yanagawa, Japan. Trying to find the girl they both loved in their youth.

A bookseller from Seoul travels with a young woman to Fukuoka in Japan to meet a former friend from university. While their reunion is haunted by the conflicts of the past, his travel companion floats through the plot as if moving through a dream.

A bookseller from Seoul travels with a young woman to Fukuoka in Japan to meet a former friend from university. While their reunion is haunted by the conflicts of the past, his travel companion floats through the plot as if moving through a dream.

A bookseller from Seoul travels with a young woman to Fukuoka in Japan to meet a former friend from university. While their reunion is haunted by the conflicts of the past, his travel companion floats through the plot as if moving through a dream.

A muggy summer of 2009, reality and memory tangled together, water from the canal soaked everyone in those vanishing days.

Yoon-young has been harboring feelings for Song-hyun, a friend's wife. When he finds out that she is divorced, Yoon-young and Songhyun take a trip to Gunsan on a whim. They find lodging at an inn where the middle-aged owner lives with his autistic daughter who does not leave her room. The four become star crossed lovers in the city of Gunsan.

Yoon-young has been harboring feelings for Song-hyun, a friend's wife. When he finds out that she is divorced, Yoon-young and Songhyun take a trip to Gunsan on a whim. They find lodging at an inn where the middle-aged owner lives with his autistic daughter who does not leave her room. The four become star crossed lovers in the city of Gunsan.

Yoon-young has been harboring feelings for Song-hyun, a friend's wife. When he finds out that she is divorced, Yoon-young and Songhyun take a trip to Gunsan on a whim. They find lodging at an inn where the middle-aged owner lives with his autistic daughter who does not leave her room. The four become star crossed lovers in the city of Gunsan.

They’re losers, but nice ones. Every day they sit at Yeri’s bar, smitten by the young Chinese-Korean woman. Yeri doesn’t have a preference. To her, they are equally sweet: Jongbin, a milk-drinking epileptic, Ikjune, a former petty criminal, and the introverted Jungbum, who fled from North Korea.

They’re losers, but nice ones. Every day they sit at Yeri’s bar, smitten by the young Chinese-Korean woman. Yeri doesn’t have a preference. To her, they are equally sweet: Jongbin, a milk-drinking epileptic, Ikjune, a former petty criminal, and the introverted Jungbum, who fled from North Korea.

People have varying perceptions and definitions of love and movies. One must overcome differing opinions and disregard insignificant factors in order to achieve the end product in each aspect. However, it is these trivial features that matter in the end and leave their imprint on our souls. Whether it is for love or for movies, we must continue to question and attend to the subtle inscriptions upon our emotions.

People have varying perceptions and definitions of love and movies. One must overcome differing opinions and disregard insignificant factors in order to achieve the end product in each aspect. However, it is these trivial features that matter in the end and leave their imprint on our souls. Whether it is for love or for movies, we must continue to question and attend to the subtle inscriptions upon our emotions.

People have varying perceptions and definitions of love and movies. One must overcome differing opinions and disregard insignificant factors in order to achieve the end product in each aspect. However, it is these trivial features that matter in the end and leave their imprint on our souls. Whether it is for love or for movies, we must continue to question and attend to the subtle inscriptions upon our emotions.

A Beijing professor returns to his stomping grounds for a friend's funeral. Reflecting on the past, he meets a tea shop owner who sparks feelings of love in a time of pain.

A Beijing professor returns to his stomping grounds for a friend's funeral. Reflecting on the past, he meets a tea shop owner who sparks feelings of love in a time of pain.

A Beijing professor returns to his stomping grounds for a friend's funeral. Reflecting on the past, he meets a tea shop owner who sparks feelings of love in a time of pain.

People exist as landscape to each other for much of their time. This coldness sometimes inspires you. The scenery is still the same, but the impression has changed slowly.

People exist as landscape to each other for much of their time. This coldness sometimes inspires you. The scenery is still the same, but the impression has changed slowly.

In many times, people exist as a part of just background to each other. This desolate scenery brings you a certain feeling. As time overlaps on the cold street, you will get caught in a deeper hole.

After the film screening, five people hold a meeting. Director Jeong asserts that a film should move the heart. Actress Soo-yeon emphasizes on the message of the film, Film critic Tony just discusses about the current trend of Korean cinema. Tomiyama cannot fully express her thoughts because of the language barrier. And, the head of jury, Sung-ki can’t control the situation. Will this jury reach an agreement against all odds? A satire for those who make, watch, and criticize films is about to begin.

On the day he was supposed to graduate from elementary school, a precocious boy runs away from home and goes with his best friend on a journey to his friend’s faraway home. He encounters diverse, interesting people and discovers that “precocious” isn’t what he had once believed.

The film is director Gao Zipeng’s first fiction film which takes three years to complete. It premieres on March 27, 2001 in UCCA and stars the poet A Jian, Xiao Zhao and the writer Gou Zi. The film is based on a true crime of disappearance. It creates an atmosphere of what Ma Zhiyuan, a celebrated poet and playwright of Yuan Dynasty, portrays in his famous poem “Autumn Thoughts”: Over old trees wreathed with rotten vines fly evening crows/ Under a small bridge near a cottage a stream flows/ On ancient road in the west wind a lean horse goes/ Westward declines the sun/ Far, far from home is the heartbroken one.

An ordinary village in Northern China, the last day of the winter vacation. Four idle, aimless adolescents gather at Zhou Zhixin's home, a friend who lives with his father, brother and nephew. Like most contemporary teenagers, these youths want to enjoy their last day of holiday and simply hang out in this place where nothing ever seems likely to happen. Their conversations are desultory and they sometimes seem to argue for argument's sake. One of them, Laowu, talks frankly with his girlfriend about how teenage love might affect their studies, while Laobao questions school's value and relevance to real life.

Chang-ho, 12, becomes friend with a North-Korean immigrant about the same age who just crossed the Dooman river, border between North-Korea and China. His mute sister and his wise grand-father will get along with him in a series of misfortunes.

Chang-ho, 12, becomes friend with a North-Korean immigrant about the same age who just crossed the Dooman river, border between North-Korea and China. His mute sister and his wise grand-father will get along with him in a series of misfortunes.

In China, Xuie lives an impoverished life with her father who is far from helpful. She is living in Chongqing. One day, her father gets arrested because of prostitution and she is called to the police. One policeman comes closer to her and her mind is taken by him.

In China, Xuie lives an impoverished life with her father who is far from helpful. She is living in Chongqing. One day, her father gets arrested because of prostitution and she is called to the police. One policeman comes closer to her and her mind is taken by him.

30 years after the explosion at Iri station (Iksan, South Korea) the city has changed its name, rebuilt itself, but the people still carry the scars. Jin-seo is one of them. She is mentally impaired due to the explosion her mother experienced while giving birth to Jin-seo. She lives with her cab-driver brother, Tae-woong. The men in the town takes advantage of Jin-Seo's mental impairment and her mild manner nature. Tragedy soon strikes Jin-seo again...

30 years after the explosion at Iri station (Iksan, South Korea) the city has changed its name, rebuilt itself, but the people still carry the scars. Jin-seo is one of them. She is mentally impaired due to the explosion her mother experienced while giving birth to Jin-seo. She lives with her cab-driver brother, Tae-woong. The men in the town takes advantage of Jin-Seo's mental impairment and her mild manner nature. Tragedy soon strikes Jin-seo again...

A father takes his son to observe an empty field, and then to visit a neighbour, who is soon visited by other reticent characters, including a man who is a little violent, and another next-door neighbour who has fallen ill.

This film takes place in a remote area, a desert region situated somewhere between the Mongolia and Chinese border. The town has become nearly void of all inhabitants except for Hangai, who works obsessively to plant trees in the desert area. Hangai’s own wife has recently left him, as their daughter became increasingly ill. While Hangai wallows in solitude, a North Korean refugee arrives at his doorstep with her son. They ask for shelter and Hanghai obliges. Although the trio can’t even speak a common language, they are able to communicate nonethless and work together to plant trees. It seems Hanghai is attracted to Soon Hee, but she doesn’t feel quite the same way. Then a Mongolian soldier stationed at a nearby camp, befriends the trio and the dynamics of their relationship start to change.

This film takes place in a remote area, a desert region situated somewhere between the Mongolia and Chinese border. The town has become nearly void of all inhabitants except for Hangai, who works obsessively to plant trees in the desert area. Hangai’s own wife has recently left him, as their daughter became increasingly ill. While Hangai wallows in solitude, a North Korean refugee arrives at his doorstep with her son. They ask for shelter and Hanghai obliges. Although the trio can’t even speak a common language, they are able to communicate nonethless and work together to plant trees. It seems Hanghai is attracted to Soon Hee, but she doesn’t feel quite the same way. Then a Mongolian soldier stationed at a nearby camp, befriends the trio and the dynamics of their relationship start to change.

Cui, a young Korean mother living on the outskirts of Chinese society, has a husband in jail and a son to support. She barely makes a living selling kimchi to workers along the side of a bleak, industrial road. A love affair with a fellow Chinese-Korean leads to tragic consequences as Cui struggles against the vulnerability of her position.

Cui, a young Korean mother living on the outskirts of Chinese society, has a husband in jail and a son to support. She barely makes a living selling kimchi to workers along the side of a bleak, industrial road. A love affair with a fellow Chinese-Korean leads to tragic consequences as Cui struggles against the vulnerability of her position.

Holding a shaking hand with another hand, a former pickpocket confines himself in his apartment. He doesn’t talk to anyone for long. There is only one woman with whom he communicates.

Holding a shaking hand with another hand, a former pickpocket confines himself in his apartment. He doesn’t talk to anyone for long. There is only one woman with whom he communicates.

Holding a shaking hand with another hand, a former pickpocket confines himself in his apartment. He doesn’t talk to anyone for long. There is only one woman with whom he communicates.

Eleven, which played at the 2001 Venice Film Festival, is the first short film of director Zhang Lu. He is a forty-year-old writer whose works engage with issues of cultural difference stemming from his own background as a member of the Korean cultural minority in China. Eleven is a fourteen-minute long vignette, virtually silent, of an eleven-year-old boy's encounter with a group of soccer players his own age.

Eleven is a fourteen-minute long vignette, virtually silent, of an eleven-year-old boy’s encounter with a group of soccer players his own age.