Three Chinese films and John Carroll Lynch’s “Lucky” open Oct. 20 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center.
The Chinese films are part of the Confucius Institute at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Chinese Culture Festival. The films open with “Wolf Totem” at 3 p.m. Oct. 20. Other festival films include “The Mermaid” and “Black Coal, Thin Ice.” Admission to the films is free. The complete schedule is below.
Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, “Wolf Totem” (2015) is set in 1967 with Chen Zhen, a young Beijing student, being sent to live among the nomadic herdsmen of inner Mongolia. The story showcases the struggle of the nomads, which are caught between the advancement of civilization and their traditional enemies, marauding wolves. “Wolf Totem” is rated PG-13 and is 122 minutes long.
“The Mermaid” is a comedic action-filled phenomenon that is China’s biggest film of all time. In the movie, greedy real estate tycoon, Liu Xuan (played by Deng Chao), buys a pristine costal enclave known as Green Gulf and plans to turn it into the hottest property on the market. The harbor holds a secret and is the home to the last surviving mermaids on the planet. The mermaids are done playing nice and send the beautiful Shan (Lin Yun) to seduce Xuan and stop the destruction of the oceans. Directed by Stephen Chow, “The Mermaid” is rated R and runs for 100 minutes.
In “Black Coal, Thin Ice,” director Yinan Diao tells the story of an ex-cop and his former partner as they follow up on investigations into a series of murders that ended their careers. The film is not rated and is 106 minutes long.
“Wolf Totem” shows at 3 p.m. Oct. 20 and 22, and 7 p.m. Oct. 25. “The Mermaid” shows at 3 p.m. Oct. 21 and 7 p.m. Oct. 22 and 24. “Black Coal, Thin Ice” shows at 7 p.m. Oct. 20, 21, 23 and 26.
Learn more about the Chinese film festival.
Starring Harry Dean Stanton in his final on-screen role before his death, “Lucky” follows the spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist and the quirky characters that inhabit his off-the-map desert town.
Having outlived and out smoked his contemporaries, the fiercely independent Lucky finds himself at the precipice of life, thrust into a journey of self-exploration that leads to enlightenment.
“Lucky” is acclaimed character actor John Carroll Lynch’s directorial debut. The film is not rated.
