Diamonds Shine on the Bell and Drum Towers

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Creative Statement

As a work in the realist style, it portrays details of everyday life vividly. Its settings are simple, which makes it highly feasible to produce. It tells three interlinked stories of the new Beijing with a distinct local character.

Synopsis

Hao Shuai spends everything he has on a big diamond ring for Zhao Xiaolu so they can marry, but after meeting his parents, Zhao Xiaolu disappears with the ring. Zhang Zhang, a web variety show performer, meets a glamorous psychologist and thinks he has found a kindred spirit, only to discover he has landed in serious trouble. Veteran rocker Cui Dacheng finds that whenever his daughter is at home, his creative block vanishes, so he tries every means to keep Zhao Xiaolu with him. But Zhao Xiaolu grew up with her mother and wants nothing more than to get away from this father who is practically a stranger.

Genre:

Urban, Romance, Comedy

Director:

Qi Youyi

Screenwriter:

Qi Youyi

Producer:

Li Xiaowei

Production Company:

Beijing Youyitian Culture Media Co., Ltd. | Eye Exercises Production (Beijing)

About the Director/Screenwriter

Qi Youyi: A Beijing native and graduate of the Directing Department of the Beijing Film Academy; writer, director and music critic. He has published four novels. His film project Miss Pigeon won the "True to the Original Intention" award (Jet Tone Films' Choice) at the project market of the 2020 FIRST International Film Festival. On July 10, 2022, his film Diamonds Shine on the Bell and Drum Towers began shooting in Beijing. The project was selected for the drama lab of the 2021 FIRST Chengdu Surprise Film Festival and received the Eye Exercises Young Focus Honor at HiShorts! Xiamen Short Film Week.

About the Producer

Li Xiaowei: Founder and chief operating officer (COO) of Eye Exercises Production, and lead singer of the band Seagull. He studied directing and then film production at the Beijing Film Academy. After leaving school he went into commercial video production and film production, where his innovative approach and professional skills earned him a good reputation in the industry. As director and executive producer he has made hundreds of high-end commercial videos. In 2018 he founded Eye Exercises Production and became its COO. As presenter and producer he has worked on more than ten feature films, including Stranger in Hometown, Rain on Banana Leaves, Carefree Wandering, We Can't Grow Old Together, Dream Lake, Xiaowen's Noodle Shop and Diamonds Shine on the Bell and Drum Towers, which have been selected for and won awards at major festivals in China and abroad.

About the Production Company

Beijing Youyitian Culture Media Co., Ltd.: Founded in 2019, a creative team centered on director Qi Youyi that specializes in adapting literary works for the screen. Its members have worked on films including Dying to Survive and The Assassin. Short films presented by the company include Sour Enough to Lose Your Teeth, Aliens and Staff Housing and Dinner with a Missing Woman. It holds exclusive rights to original literary works including The Missing Woman (winner of the 4th Lao She Literary Award and one of the Top Ten Novellas of 2008), Treasure Hunt and Youyi's Book. Eye Exercises Production (Beijing): A creative brand covering the full process of film and television development and production, commercial video production, creative support, technical services and interactive marketing. It focuses on content quality and on encouraging positive entertainment values among young people, pursues technical innovation to bring technology and culture together in filmmaking, and works closely with leading creators, artists and technical experts in China and abroad.

Logline

Once you want something from love, love hurts. Three interlinked stories of the new Beijing: a love song for today's city.