''Forgetting to Know You'' () is a 2013 Chinese
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
written and directed by Quan Ling.
It was Quan's directorial debut. The film debuted at the 2013
63rd Berlin International Film Festival
The 63rd annual Berlin International Film Festival took place in Berlin, Germany between 7 and 17 February 2013. Chinese film director Wong Kar-wai was announced as the President of the Jury and his film '' The Grandmaster'' was the opening fil ...
, but was not released domestically until August 29, 2014.
The film is set and filmed in Baisha (白沙), a suburban town in
Jiangjin District
Jiangjin District (), one of the districts in the southwest of Chongqing, China, lies along the upper reaches of Yangtze River, and has a history extending back more than 1500 years. The district covers 3200 square kilometres and has a populati ...
,
Chongqing. The Chinese title used at Berlin International Film Festival was ''Mosheng'' (陌生; "Unfamiliar"), but it was later changed to match the English title's meaning.
Cast
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Tao Hong as Chen Xuesong, who runs a corner shop
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Guo Xiaodong
"Guo", written in Chinese language, Chinese: wikt:郭, 郭, is one of the most common Chinese surnames and means "the wall that surrounds a city" in Chinese. It can also be transliterated into English as Cok, Gou, Quo, Quach, Quek, Que, Keh, ...
as Cai Weihang, Chen's carpenter husband who wants to start a furniture business
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Zhang Wan as Yuanyuan, Chen and Cai's young daughter
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Wang Ziyi as Wu Junyan, a taxi driver who likes Chen
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Zhang Yibai
Zhang Xiaoling, better known by his stage name Zhang Yibai () (born 14 April 1963, in Chongqing, China) is a Chinese film director, screenwriter and producer.
Directorial career
Zhang began his career in television and music videos before dir ...
as Yang Jiucheng, rich and famous man who was once friends with Chen
Plot
The film deals with a normal working-class couple, whose relationship deteriorates under stress due to lack of trust and communication.
Reception
David Rooney of ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' praised Quan's rookie efforts as "nuanced", adding that "Tao’s performance in the central role alone makes it captivating".
[ Derek Elley of '' Film Business Asia'' rated it 7 out of 10 and states "the film is made engrossing by its two lead actors... (Tao) simply gets better and better with age, drawing a subtle portrait of a bored wife who still longs for more than she's ended up with: tiny details in costuming, gestures and looks make this a performance that could so easily have been over-ripe."][
]
Awards
References
External links
Trailer with English subtitles
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Chinese drama films
2013 drama films
2013 directorial debut films
2013 films
Films set in Chongqing
Films shot in Chongqing
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