Aftershock (2010)
"Tangshan dadizhen" (original title)

The epic story of a family separated as a result of the Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976.

Director:

Xiaogang Feng

Writers:

Wu Si (screenplay), Ling Zhang (novel)

Stars:

Fan Xu, Chen Li, Yi Lu

14 wins & 20 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fan Xu	...	Li Yuanni
Jingchu Zhang	...	Fang Deng / Wang Deng
Chen Li	...	Fang Da
Zi-feng Zhang	...	Young Fang Deng
Jiajun Zhang	...	Young Fang Da
Yi Lu	...	Yang Zhi
Guoqiang Zhang	...	Fang Daqiang
Ziwen Wang	...	Xiao He
Lixin Yang	...	Lao Niu
Zhong Lü	...	Grandmother
Mei Yong	...	Aunt
Li-li Liu	...	Sichuan Mother
Daoming Chen	...	Wang Deqing (Deng's Foster Father)
Jin Chen	...	Dong Guilan (Deng's Foster Mother)
Baowen Zhang	...	Wang Zhiguo's Wife

Storyline

In Tangshan, the truck driver Da Qiang, his wife Yuan Ni and their twin Fang Da and Fang Deng are a happy simple family. On 27 July 1976, a devastating earthquake destroys Tangshan, and Da Qiang dies while trying to rescue his children from their apartment. When a collapsed beam traps Fang Da and Fang Deng, Yuan Ni is forced to decide between saving her son or daughter and she chooses Fang Da. However, her daughter Fang Deng overhears her mother's choice and miraculously survives. She is rescued by a soldier and adopted by Mr. Wang and his wife with the name Wang Deng. Thirty-two years later, after an earthquake in China, Wang Deng that is married with a Canadian lawyer and lives in Vancouver with her daughter, travels to China and voluntarily joins the rescue team. She meets by chance Fang Da and she leans the drama of Yuan Ni along all those years. The family is finally reunited at Yuan Ni's home where bitterness are exposed and resolved.

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Plot Keywords:

earthquake | china | tangshan earthquake | difficult decison | prosthetic limb | 

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Taglines:

23 seconds, 32 years.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [cn] Official site [hk]

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

22 July 2010 (China)

Also Known As:

Aftershock

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tangshan City Government, China Film Group, Huayi Brothers

Technical Specs

Runtime:

135 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Sonics-DDP (IMAX version)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Japan, the movie, based on the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, was originally scheduled for nationwide release on 26 March 2011, but the distributor Shochiku has postponed the release "in view of the devastation caused by the earthquake [and tsunami that occurred on 11 March] and out of consideration for the victims and their families."

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Goofs

During Wang Deng's visit to the Buddhist temple, her boyfriend was seen checking his cellular phone. At the time of the event, approximate 1986-1990, cellular phone use is not widespread in China, especially among college students. The size of the mobile phone was also significantly larger in their early development.

User Reviews

One of the best, saddest films.

As i sit here typing up this review, my eyes are sore from the tears shed from watching this stunning film. This is no ordinary documentary like film. The characters are portrayed in a way that establishes a deep connection with the audience, the actors/actresses in this this film were absolutely flawless. The emotions, gestures and dialogue were all perfect.

Apart from complimenting the set, the movie had great computer generated scenes of the devastating effects of the earthquake. This really puts the audiences in a perspective like never before , as u see the people being smashed by boulders and collapsing buildings with people inside.

This movie focuses on the main idea of FAMILY. It shows the bonding of natural disaster victims and the the journey of recovering from the emotional wounds.

This movie was a master piece. I highly recommend it.