Summer Palace (2006 film)
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''Summer Palace'' (), is a 2006 Chinese film and the fourth feature film by
director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...
Lou Ye Lou Ye (), born 1965, is a Chinese screenwriter- director who is commonly grouped with the " Sixth Generation" directors of Chinese cinema. Films Born in Shanghai, Lou was educated at the Beijing Film Academy. In 1993, he made his first film ''W ...
. The film was a Chinese-French collaboration produced by Dream Factory, Laurel Films, Fantasy Pictures and Sylvain Bursztejn's Rosem Films. It was made in association with France's
Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual ...
, Ministère des Affaires Étrangères and
Centre National de la Cinématographie Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricit ...
(CNC). The film deals with a young student played by
Hao Lei Hao Lei (born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actress and singer, known for her starring roles in Lou Ye's films ''Summer Palace'' (2006) and '' Mystery'' (2012). Biography In 2003, Hao Lei starred in Liao Yimei's play '' Rhinoceros in Love'' in ...
who leaves her small hometown to study at the fictional "Beiqing University" (an homage to Peking University). There she meets a fellow student and begins an intense romantic relationship in the backdrop of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. The film also follows the eventual disillusionment of these young idealists after the crackdown, as the years progress through the 1990s and into the 2000s (decade). The film is named after the
Summer Palace The Summer Palace () is a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in Beijing. It was an imperial garden in the Qing dynasty. Inside includes Longevity Hill () Kunming Lake and Seventeen Hole Bridge. It covers an expanse of , three-quarte ...
located in Beijing. The film is the first from mainland China to feature the full-frontal adult nudity of both its male and female leads, though earlier films such as ''
Xiao Wu ''Xiao Wu'' (), also known as ''Pickpocket'', is a 1997 Chinese drama and the first directed by Jia Zhangke. Starring Wang Hongwei in the titular role along with Hao Hongjian and Zuo Baitao, it was filmed in Fenyang, Jia's hometown, in 16 mm. Sy ...
'' (1998), '' Lan Yu'' (2001), '' Green Hat'' (2003), and '' Star Appeal'' (2004), have featured full-frontal adult male nudity. ''Summer Palaces sex scenes and political undertones made the film tinder for controversy in China, leading both the director, Lou Ye, and his producers into conflict with China's State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT). After screening ''Summer Palace'' in the
2006 Cannes Film Festival The 59th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official selection Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over t ...
without government approval, the film was placed under a de facto ban in Mainland China, and its filmmakers officially censored.


Plot

Spanning several cities and over a decade, ''Summer Palace'' tells the story of Yu Hong (played by
Hao Lei Hao Lei (born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actress and singer, known for her starring roles in Lou Ye's films ''Summer Palace'' (2006) and '' Mystery'' (2012). Biography In 2003, Hao Lei starred in Liao Yimei's play '' Rhinoceros in Love'' in ...
), a young woman from the border-city of Tumen, who is accepted to the fictional Beiqing University, a name that evokes either Peking University ("Beida") or
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (; abbr. THU) is a national public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. The university is a member of the C9 League, Double First Class University Plan, Projec ...
("Qinghua"). While in school, Yu Hong meets Li Ti, her best friend (played by Hu Lingling), and Zhou Wei, her college boyfriend and the love of her life (played by
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, ...
). The film is divided into two parts. The first begins in the late 1980s (subtitles inform the audience of the place and year at various points in the film), as Yu Hong enters the university. Lonely and isolated despite the cramped living conditions, Yu Hong eventually befriends another student, Li Ti, who introduces her to her boyfriend Ruo Gu (played by Zhang Xianmin), and Ruo Gu's friend Zhou Wei. Yu Hong and Zhou Wei embark upon a passionate but volatile love affair just as political forces are moving towards
Tiananmen Square Tiananmen Square or Tian'anmen Square (; 天安门广场; Pinyin: ''Tiān'ānmén Guǎngchǎng''; Wade–Giles: ''Tʻien1-an1-mên2 Kuang3-chʻang3'') is a city square in the city center of Beijing, China, named after the eponymous Tiananmen ...
. Two events then bring the first half of the film to a close: First, Zhou Wei, incensed at the jealousy and emotional instability of his girlfriend, begins to have an affair with Li Ti; and second, the
crackdown Crackdown may refer to * ''Crackdown'' (web series) * ''Crackdown'' (video game series) ** ''Crackdown'' (video game) ** ''Crackdown 2 ''Crackdown 2'' is an open world action-adventure video game developed by Ruffian Games and published by ...
occurs on the students on Tiananmen Square and on the campus of Beida. During all of this, Yu Hong's old boyfriend Xiao Jun (played by Cui Jin) from Tumen arrives and the two of them leave, Yu Hong deciding that she will drop out from the university. The film then fast forwards several years, as Lou Ye intersperses the travels of his three main characters with news footage of the end of the Cold War, and the 1997
Hong Kong handover Sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China (PRC) at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony. Hong Kong was established as a special admini ...
. Yu Hong has left Tumen again, first for
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
, and then for the central China city of
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
, while Li Ti and Ruo Gu have moved to Berlin. Yu Hong is unable to forget Zhou Wei, and has empty affairs with a married man and a kind but quiet mailroom worker. The film follows her disaffection with society and her use of sex as a substitute for contentment. Eventually discovering that she is pregnant, Yu Hong gets an
abortion Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pre ...
and moves to Chongqing where she marries. Li Ti, Ruo Gu, and Zhou Wei, meanwhile, live a quiet life as expatriates in Berlin. While Li Ti and Zhou Wei still occasionally make love, the former quietly realizes that the latter does not love her. Though the three friends appear happy, when Zhou Wei plans to return home to China and settle in the city of Chongqing, Li Ti suddenly commits suicide. There he connects with former classmates who in turn point him to Yu Hong's email address. After more than ten years, Zhou Wei and Yu Hong at last reunite in the resort city of
Beidaihe Beidaihe District () is a popular beach resort and a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province on China's Bohai Sea coast. It has an area of and, , a population of 66,000, as well as a coastline of . It is also known as a birding ha ...
. While they embrace, they ask each other, "Now what?" When Yu Hong leaves, ostensibly to buy drinks, Zhou Wei understands that they can never be together and leaves as well.


Cast

*
Hao Lei Hao Lei (born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actress and singer, known for her starring roles in Lou Ye's films ''Summer Palace'' (2006) and '' Mystery'' (2012). Biography In 2003, Hao Lei starred in Liao Yimei's play '' Rhinoceros in Love'' in ...
as Yu Hong – the film's heroine, a young student at the fictional Beiqing University from the small town of
Tumen, Jilin Tumen (; Chosŏn'gŭl: 도문; Hangul: 투먼) is a county-level city in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Jilin province, Northeast China. Of its 136,000 inhabitants, approximately 78,000 (or 57%) are of Korean descent. The two offi ...
on the North Korean-Chinese border. Yu Hong is a willful young woman who desires to live life more intensely. Her love affair with the character of Zhou Wei serves as the basis of the film. *
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 Zhou Wei – Yu Hong's love interest, another student at the same university. Something of an intellectual, Zhou Wei is both deeply in love with Yu Hong and prone to infidelity. When the Tiananmen protests arrive, he like his fellow students join in the movement. * Hu Lingling as Li Ti – Yu Hong's best friend and eventual rival. Li Ti, an English-language major at the same university, is the first to befriend the sullen, quiet Yu Hong. Though considered a cynic, she harbors a romantic side as well. * Zhang Xianmin as Ruo Gu – Li Ti's boyfriend, a student studying abroad in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
. *
Cui Lin Cui Lin (died January or February 245), courtesy name Deru, was a Chinese politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. He was known for his scruples in good governance, judgment of character, and for being the f ...
as Xiao Jun – Yu Hong's high school boyfriend from Tumen. * Bai Xueyun as Wang Bo – Yu Hong's lover in Wuhan. * Chloe Maayan as Dong Dong Lou Ye picked Hao Lei from over 400 candidates because she was the only one who turned him down, fearing the sex scenes would hurt her love relationship. As Lou said later, "That was something Yu Hong would say, so I had to have her play (Yu)." The entire crew waited patiently for Hao to accept, for so long that the original choice for Zhou Wei, Liu Ye, had to abandon the project. Hao was very touched and agreed, but her relationship with actor
Deng Chao Deng Chao (, born 8 February 1979) is a Chinese actor, comedian, director and singer. His recent films, '' The Breakup Guru'' (2014), '' The Mermaid'' (2016) and ''Duckweed'' (2017) are among the highest-grossing Chinese films of all time in ...
did end as a result. Lou's 2012 film ''
Mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' Films * ''Mystery'' (2012 film), a 2012 Chinese drama film * ''Mystery'' ( ...
'' reunited him with Hao.


Soundtrack

Iranian composer
Peyman Yazdanian Peyman Yazdanian ( fa, پیمان یزدانیان , born in 1968) is an Iranian pianist and music composer. He has written over forty pieces for solo piano and has composed for both national and foreign feature films. He wrote original soundtra ...
did the film score. The film also features a number of songs from all around the world, including a song by Hao Lei (which she recorded in 2003 for '' Rhinoceros in Love''): *"Yangqi" (氧气; "Oxygen") performed by
Hao Lei Hao Lei (born 1 November 1978) is a Chinese actress and singer, known for her starring roles in Lou Ye's films ''Summer Palace'' (2006) and '' Mystery'' (2012). Biography In 2003, Hao Lei starred in Liao Yimei's play '' Rhinoceros in Love'' in ...
*"Qingchun Wuqu" (青春舞曲; "Dance of Youth") by
Lo Ta-yu Lo Ta-yu (; born 20 July 1954), also known as Luo Dayou and Law Tai-yau, is a Taiwanese singer and songwriter. During the 1980s, Lo became one of the most influential Mandopop singer-songwriters with his melodic lyrics and love songs, and his ...
*"Don't Break My Heart" by
Dou Wei Dou Wei is a Chinese musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Music Dou Wei is a multi-instrumentalist and produces music across many genres. He first came to prominence as a member of the hard rock group Black Panther (Hei Bao, 黑豹). In ...
( Black Panther) *"
Can't Take My Eyes Off You "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a we ...
" performed by Andy Williams *"
Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat "Seven Little Girls Sitting in the Backseat" is a song written by Bob Hilliard and Lee Pockriss. It was recorded by Paul Evans (US No. 9) in 1959, and covered the same year by The Avons (UK No. 3). Ingrid Reuterskiöld (Ninita) wrote lyrics in ...
" performed by Paul Evans *"
Mickey Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bor ...
" performed by
Toni Basil Antonia Christina Basilotta (born September 22, 1943), better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer, choreographer, dancer, actress, and director. Her song "Mickey" topped the charts in the US, Canada and Australia and hit th ...
*"In Yeon" (인연; "Fate") by Ha Dong-jin *"Sólo por tu amor" performed by Manuel Franjo *" Suliko" performed by the Chikovani family


Release


Theatrical

''Summer Palace'' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2006, and was released theatrically in France a year later on April 18, 2007, by
Océan Films Océan is a department of South Province in Cameroon. The department covers an area of 11,280 km and as of 2001 had a total population of 133,062. The capital of the department lies at Kribi. Subdivisions The department is divided adminis ...
, under the title ''Une Jeunesse Chinoise'' (in English, "A Chinese Youth"). The film received its American debut in the
Mill Valley Film Festival The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual American film festival founded in 1977. History In October 1977, Mark Fishkin, Rita Cahill and Lois Cole organized a three-day film festival. It featured three film tributes, Francis Ford Coppola's ''T ...
on October 10, 2006, and a limited theatrical release beginning on January 18, 2008, through distributor
Palm Pictures Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD-Video format. Palm places an emphasis on such pro ...
.


Home media

''Summer Palace'' was released on Region 2
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
in
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
on January 28, 2008. The single disc edition includes the film in its original Mandarin with French subtitles, along with special features such as a making-of documentary, a featurette on censorship, Lou Ye's film notes, and cast and crew biographies. A Region 1 DVD was released in the United States on March 11, 2008, by
Palm Pictures Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD-Video format. Palm places an emphasis on such pro ...
.


Reception

''Summer Palace'' was screened at several international film festivals, most notably
Cannes Cannes ( , , ; oc, Canas) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. T ...
, where it was the only Asian film in competition. However, the
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
eventually went to the
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
film, '' The Wind That Shakes the Barley'', directed by
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...
. Besides Cannes, ''Summer Palace'' was also screened at a handful of top-tier festivals including
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
and
Mill Valley Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
. Critics were generally positive in reviews, citing the film's ambition and scope with the most common complaint being the film's excessive length at 140 minutes. Derek Elley of ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' claimed the film was "half an hour too long." ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...
'', meanwhile, also mentioned the "thirty minutes too long" complaint but stated that the film was nevertheless "a raw and unsettling new work." ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' also found the film "over-long and meandering," but also "stylish ndatmospheric." ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' gave a particularly glowing review for the film with film critic A. O. Scott writing that "...
espite Espite is a Freguesia (Portugal), civil parish in the municipality of Ourém, Portugal. The population in 2011 was 1,104,
its 2-hour-20-minute length, 'Summer Palace' moves with the swiftness and syncopation of a pop song. Like Jean-Luc Godard in the 1960s, Mr. Lou favors breathless tracking shots and snappy jump cuts, and like Mr. Godard’s, his camera is magnetized by female beauty." The film was released unrated in the United States. Several American film critics have described ''Summer Palace'' as one of the most sexually-explicit films in years; indeed
David Denby David Denby (born 1943) is an American journalist. He served as film critic for ''The New Yorker'' until December 2014. Early life and education Denby grew up in New York City. He received a B. A. from Columbia University in 1965, and a master' ...
of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' noted that he never seen so much lovemaking in an "aboveground" film, however, he also noted that these scenes are not pornographic, that is, never separated from emotion. Hong Kong feminist scholar Evelyn Wan argued that the “excessive sex scenes,” while disturbing, effectively convey the “sense of unsettledness and bewilderment” of the main characters.


Ban

The film was in competition at the
2006 Cannes Film Festival The 59th Cannes Film Festival was held from 17 to 28 May 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official selection Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over t ...
but failed to garner any awards. Though ''Summer Palace'' was the only Asian film in competition for the
Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...
, Lou and his producers had not received approval from Chinese censors, thus instigating an official censure by the Chinese State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT). Chinese authorities pointed out that the film was banned due to the aesthetic reason. They claimed that the film's technical quality is poor. For example, blurred images are often detected in dorm room scenes. Ultimately, both Lou and his producer, Nai An, were forbidden by the Chinese Government to make any new films for five years. Besides the filmmakers, ''Summer Palace'' itself was de facto banned when SARFT refused to grant a certificate to distribute in the Mainland because the film was not up to the official standards for picture and sound quality.


Sex in ''Summer Palace''


Sex and Politics

In ''Summer Palace'', the director "masterfully converges sexual awakening and romantic confusion with political radicalization and frustrated aspirations". The sexual revolution among young university students serves as a parallel to the political revolution in 1989. Scholar Shen Qinan points out that student's sexual exploration in 1980s aligns with the rapid social developments in China during that period. The correlation between student movement in Tiananmen Square and their sex life well explored and implied in the film. Dir. Lou Ye sees the relationship between students and the government as a romantic couple. He points out that the student movement to the government is similar to a lovemaking experience. The violent suppression can simply be seen as a unsatisfying sex experience shared by both parties. Sex scenes are rarely erotic in the film. On the contrary, the repetitive sexual intercourses are shown as "a clumsy athletic exercise, a messy enervation of tumbling bodies". Sex is used as a metaphor to address political issues in the film. When the film depcits the climax of the student movement, the song titled "Oxygen" becomes the soundtrack of the senquence. The song is sung by Hao Lei, who plays the role of Yu Hong. The song is also titled as "Making Love". Therefore, the combination of the song and the sequence showcases the close connection between sex and politics.


Sex and Liberation

Scholar Shen points out "the need for sexual release increased in proportion to leisure, boredom, and chaos" during the student movement in 1989. One participant recalled that some students left the Tiananmen Square in the evening and engaged in (group) sexual intercourse nearby, and they considered the on and off campus sexual activities as the "first sexual liberation movement in New China". In the film, examples can be found where Yu Hong teaches Dongdong regarding masturbation and their sexual experiences with students from other universities.


Sex and Female Self-Identity

The sex between Xiaojun and Yu does not always lead to pleasure. Yu is portrayed as "confused and sad" on occasions. In the film, she later indicates that " sex is the most direct way for her to show men her goodness". Song Ping appears more conserved about sex and values the sexual morals in conventional Chinese culture. Song sees Yu's frequent and pre-marriage sexual activities "disgusting". This character is meant to represent the generation of the Cultural Revolution, and her confrontation with Yu reveals the altering campus climate during the late 1980s that university is not only limited to study but also becomes a romantic space for young people.


See also

* ''
Lost in Beijing ''Lost in Beijing'' () is a 2007 Chinese drama film directed by Li Yu and starring Tony Leung Ka-fai, Fan Bingbing, Tong Dawei, and Elaine Jin. It had its international premiere at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival on February 16, 2007. ...
'', director Li Yu's 2007 film, also produced by Fang Li's Laurel Films, which like ''Summer Palace'', was banned by Chinese authorities. * Film censorship in China *
Censorship in the People's Republic of China Censorship in the People's Republic of China (PRC) is implemented or mandated by the PRC's ruling party, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is one of strictest censorship regimes in the world. The government censors content for mainly polit ...
*
List of Chinese films of 2006 The following is a list of mainland Chinese films first released in 2006. There were 300 Chinese feature films produced of which 74 were screened in China in 2006. See also * 2006 in China References External linksIMDb list of Chinese ...
* Nudity in film (East Asian cinema since 1929)


References


External links

*
Official site
from distributor Palm Pictures * * * * *

at MonkeyPeaches {{DEFAULTSORT:Summer Palace (Film) 2006 romantic drama films 2006 films Chinese romantic drama films Films directed by Lou Ye Films set in the 1990s Films set in Beijing Films set in China Films set in Wuhan Films set in Chongqing 2000s German-language films 2000s Mandarin-language films 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre