Poet on a Business Trip

Poet on a Business Trip (Chinese: 诗人出差了; pinyin: shī rén chū chai le) is a 2015 Chinese documentary film directed, written and cinematographed by Ju Anqi. Originally shot in colour but edited to black-and-white, it follows a poet as he travels through Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to write a series of 16 poems.[1]

Poet on a Business Trip
Directed byJu Anqi
Produced byLi Zhenhua
Screenplay byJu Anqi
StarringShu
Music byLi Yuan
Ma Yuanyuan
CinematographyJu Anqi
Edited byWang Kang
Release date
  • January 23, 2015 (2015-01-23) (IFFR)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageMandarin
Uyghur

It made its world premiere at the 2015 International Film Festival Rotterdam and its Asian premiere at the 16th Jeonju International Film Festival, winning the NETPAC Award and the International Competition's grand prize, respectively.[2]

Synopsis

Poet Shu sets off on a business trip across the entire province of Xinjiang, hitching rides and befriending the local Uighur population. Along the way he composes 16 poems that sardonically capture his journey.[3][4]

Production

In 2002, director Ju and Chinese actor-poet Shu (who played the title character) took a train from Beijing to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 4000 kilometers away. In inhospitable and impoverished conditions, the two began to record their adventure on a 40-day journey across the whole of Xinjiang. A decade-long dispute between Ju and Shu put the project on hold. It was not until 2013 that Ju started editing the material and finished it in 2014.[5][3]

Reception

Poet on a Business Trip was lauded by the Jeonju International Film Festival's International Competition jury member as "simple, curious, artful and ultimately very moving."[6]

International Film Festival Rotterdam noted Poet on a Business Trip "is also an historic document that exudes an atmosphere of loss, providing an unsentimental yet melancholy glimpse of a country in transition and a mirror for the existential irreversibility of time."[7]

ZagrebDox wrote, "This poetic, provocative, and beautiful film is awarded (Best Film) for its power and for its skill in connecting the unexpected social truths with exciting presentation of art and of personal issues."[8]

Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Recipient Result
201543rd International Film Festival Rotterdam[7]NETPAC Award (Best Asian Film)Poet on a Business TripWon
16th Jeonju International Film Festival[6]Grand Prize (International Competition)Won
201612th ZagrebDox International Documentary Film Festival[8]Best Film (International Competition)Won

References
  1. Kasman, Daniel (24 April 2016). "Filming Poetry, Landscapes & Prostitutes: Ju Anqi Discusses Poet on a Business Trip". MUBI. Retrieved 2017-03-19.
  2. Noh, Jean (7 May 2015). "China's Poet on a Business Trip wins at Jeonju film festival". Screendaily.com. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  3. Thomas, Natalie (28 April 2015). "A decade old, Xinjiang film shows changes in restive Chinese region". Reuters. Retrieved 2016-11-21.
  4. "Poet on a Business Trip". Film Society of Lincoln Center. 2015. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  5. "Poet on a business trip". Vimeo. 30 December 2014. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  6. Won, Ho-jung (10 May 2015). "Jeonju film fest announces winners". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  7. "Poet on a Business Trip". IFFR. 2015. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
  8. "12th ZagrebDox Winners Announced". ZagrebDox. 27 February 2016. Retrieved 2016-11-20.
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