Gang de qin - The Piano in a Factory

2010

Shin-Yeong Jang, Wang Qian-Yang, Hailu Qin

Was lucky enough to see the gem of a film yesterday after wandering into my local cineworld and, finding nothing else on..thought i would go and see this (if it looks utterly random i will probably go and see it over a big  Hollywood blockbuster) . It was on as part of the Glasgow Film Festival - which was also something i didn't know was on BAD ME!!!! After being introduced to the film by one of the Film Festival workers (another nice touch which i liked) the film started straight away- no trailers is not a bad thing.

It is a Chinese film set in China in the early 90's when the steel workers were in uproar. It focuses on a young man Chen, who is divorcing his upmarket wife....desperate to keep the custody of his young daughter, who says the she will stay with whomever can give her a  piano (nothing like emotional blackmail)...Chen can't afford a piano and tries all different tactics to help her play...he tries to sneak her into the local school with the help of a friend but gets caught and then tries to steal the school piano which doesn't work, not surprisengly. In desperation, Chen makes a piano keyboard out of wood, and even though it can't be played so a sound is made, he gets his daughter to use her imagination just so she is still getting the finger movements and the sound- there is a wonderful scene at this point where they play Beethoven together on a silent piano.

Realising that none of this is going to win back the daughter he do desperatly wants, Chen rounds up all his oddball friends and persuades them to help him make a piano from scratch at the local steel factory.......

The music was wonderful - i desperatly want to get my hands on a song which was used  during alot of the factory scenes, some sort of russian hip hop or something.

The cinematography was wonderful, it really did feel bleak.

What i loved most though was the random songs that would burst out of nowhere when Chen and his girlfriend and their band needed to practice for gigs.....Spanish Flamenco style in the middle of a Chinese steel factory...why not!

I am not sure if this will ever get a proper uk release....so im very glad i had the chance...

10/10