Above The Dust

Ten-year-old Wo Tu dreams of having a water pistol like other boys in his village. Even though his father promised, he fails to bring one from the city. But there is one hope for Wo Tu: his dying grandfather assures him to grant him the wish as a ghost. After his death, the old man visits the boy in his dreams, initiating a treasure hunt. Soon, the limits between reality and dream, past and present, become more and more blurred. A portrait of the profound love for the land, across three generations of a family in modern Chinese rural life.

WANG Xiaoshuai is one of pioneers of Chinese independent film, the winner of French Culture and Art Knight Medal, internationally renowned Chinese film director. During these thirty years of filming, WANG has directed 15 films. His works span different eras, yet consistently reflect a strong social conscience. With a strong personal style and humanistic care, the spirit of perseverance and independent creation, WANG Xiaoshuai’s films were shortlisted at the three major international film festivals eight times and nominated for the main competition unit six times. IN LOVE WE TRUST (2008) won the Berlinale Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, BEIJING BICYLE (2001) won the Grand Jury Silver Bear in Competition at the Berlinale, and the Grand Jury Prize for SHANGHAI DREAMS (2005) in the Cannes Main Competition. The latest title SO LONG, MY SON (2019) won two Silver Bears for the Best Actor and Actress at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, and his debut feature THE DAYS (1993) was collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2022, THE HOTEL (2022) was selected in the “Contemporary World Cinema” section of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, the Official Selection of the 17th Roma International Film Festival, and won the Best Director Awards in the 10th Barcelona Asian Film Festival. In 2021, the online drama series THE PAVILION was released as the first drama of 2023 on IQIYI’s Light On Theater. The series won the Best Writer of the 4th Asia Contents Awards in 2022. In 2019, the film SO LONG, MY SON was nominated for the Golden Bear Award at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival, also won the Silver Bear Awards for both Best Actor and Actress. In 2018, the documentary film CHINESE PORTRAIT was selected in the Masters Screening Unit of IDFA Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival, and was collected by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 2014, the film RED AMNESIA was nominated for the Golden Lion Award in the Main Competition Unit of the 71st Venice International Film Festival. In 2010, the film CHONGQING BLUES was nominated for the Golden Palm Award in the Main Competition Unit of the 63rd Cannes International Film Festival, and also was nominated for the Annual Director Award for China Film Directors' Guild. In 2008, the film IN LOVE WE TRUST won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Special Attention Award at the 58th Berlin International Film Festival. In 2005, the film SHANGHAI DREAMS won the Grand Jury Prize at the 58th Cannes International Film Festival. In 2001, the film BEIJING BICYLE won the Grand Jury Silver Bear and the Best New Actor at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. In 1999, the film SO CLOSE TO PARADISE was WANG’s first mainstream film, and was selected in the Un Certain Regard Section of the Cannes International Film Festival. In 1993, WANG’s debut feature THE DAYS was the first independent production film in China, was selected in the Youth Forum Unit of Berlin International Film Festival, and was selected as one of the best 100 films of all time by the BBC.

DIRECTOR'S FILMOGRAPHY

1993 THE DAYS
1996 FROZEN
1999 SO CLOSE TO PARADISE
2001 BEIJING BICYLE
2003 DRIFTERS
2005 SHANGHAI DREAMS
2008 IN LOVE WE TRUST
2010 CHONGQING BLUES
2011 11 FLOWERS
2014 RED AMNESIA
2018 CHINIESE PORTRAIT
2019 SO LONG, MY SON
2021 THE PAVILION
2022 THE HOTEL