Tang shan da di zhen (2010)

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:

Daoming Chen, Chen Li, Yi Lu

20 wins & 26 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fan Xu	...	Li Yuanni
Jingchu Zhang	...	Fang Deng / Wang Deng
Chen Li	...	Fang Da
Zifeng Zhang	...	Young Fang Deng (as Zi-feng Zhang)
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
Lili Liu	...	Sichuan Mother (as Li-Li Liu)
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 twins Fang Da, their son, and Fang Deng, their daughter, 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, now married to a Canadian lawyer and living in Vancouver with her daughter, travels to China and voluntarily joins the rescue team. By chance she meets Fang Da and she learns the drama of Yuan Ni through all those years. The family is finally reunited at Yuan Ni's home, where bitterness is exposed and resolved.

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Plot Keywords:

earthquake | china | tangshan earthquake | man versus nature | disaster relief | 

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Taglines:

23 seconds, 32 years.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [China] Official site [Hong Kong]

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

22 July 2010 (China)

Also Known As:

Aftershock

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$62,962

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$100,292,829

Company Credits

Production Co:

Tangshan City Government, China Film Group, Huayi Brothers Media

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 consideration of the Tohoku earthquake in March 2011, the Japanese distributor canceled the planned release of the film later that month. The film which depicted the 1976 Tangshan earthquake was eventually released in the country in March 2015 in dozens of theaters, as opposed to hundreds it was planned for 4 years earlier.

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Goofs

When Fang Da brought his girlfriend home to visit his mother, he was seen opening the door with his left arm, when it's already been established that he lost his left arm from the earthquake.

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Quotes

Li Yuanni: But I'm against it precisely because of your dad and elder sis. The last time we moved, I had to tell them exactly how to get to our new place. And I've been telling them constantly for more than 20 years. If I were to move again, I would've to tell them the new directions. I can't keep telling them anymore. I'm tired of telling them. End of discussion. I'm not moving anywhere.

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.