Hao Ning

Actor Lau Wai-Chi has a huge following of devoted followers and is always keeping an eye on his rivals. After accepting to play the lead in a modest indie drama, Lau begins the laborious process of mastering the acting skills for the role. (imdb)

A companion piece to My People, My Country, this anthology film unites five stories set across China’s diverse regions, each exploring the humor, resilience, and quiet heroism of ordinary citizens. Through vignettes ranging from a rural inventor’s comic misadventures to a city doctor’s unexpected homecoming, the film captures the spirit of a nation bound by shared memory and place. Blending satire, sentiment, and local color, My People, My Homeland paints a panoramic portrait of contemporary China — where progress and nostalgia coexist, and where every small hometown holds a piece of the country’s collective heart.

A monkey trainer whose act goes wrong after an alien crash lands on Earth and injures his monkey. Desperate to perform the act, he attempts to train the alien instead, though is punished after the alien regains his powers. (imdb)

This anthology film consists of seven short stories directed by different filmmakers, each commemorating a significant historical milestone since the founding of the People's Republic of China. From the preparation of the first national flag to the successful hosting of the Beijing Olympics, the narrative highlights the personal sacrifices and contributions of ordinary citizens to their nation.

Recently cuckolded and reeling from a messy divorce, a hapless former singer hits the road -- and the bar -- with his all-too-helpful best bud. (TIFF)

A young lawyer from the city travels to the Gobi desert where he embarks on a series of adventures and challenges. (imdb)

The film is set in the 1930s in north-eastern Manchurian China, with Lei Jiayin as lowly street hustler Xiao Dongbei, who becomes involved with a group of anti-Japanese revolutionaries after accidentally coming across their plans to rob a bank and prevent a massive arms deal. (beyondhollywood.com)

An action-adventure story focused on the lives of express deliverymen, traffic cops and lonely beauties. (imdb)

Three thieves try to steal a valuable jade that is tightly guarded by a security chief. But the security guards are not the only obstacle these thieves are facing. An extremely unlucky internationally known master thief is also trying to get a hand on this piece of precious jade. (imdb)

When young Bilike finds an ordinary ping pong ball, he and his friends take to flights of imaginative whimsy and embark on a journey to find the source of the mysterious unknown object. Bilike's old grandmother says the ball is a glowing pearl sent by the gods, but the boys are skeptical after it fails the test. Since none of their other family members are able to offer any more insight, the three boys trek to the faraway monastery to consult the wise lamas. (First Run Features)

This chapter 'A Curious Tale of Earthly Buddhism' analyzes Ning Hao's film Incense, a heavy yet humorous film about the adventures of an impoverished Buddhist monk who tries to preserve his temple and etch out a living for himself in a modernizing secular world that has no use for religion. It examines Incense as a film text which deconstructs "earthly Buddhism," especially its current efforts to adapt to China's economic reforms and capitalist globalization. (oxfordindex.oup.com)