An Elephant Sitting Still
An Elephant Sitting Still (Chinese: 大象席地而坐; pinyin: Dà Xiàng Xídì Érzuò) is a 2018 Chinese drama film written, directed and edited by Hu Bo. The first and only feature film by the novelist-turned-director Hu, who died by suicide soon after finishing his film on 12 October 2017 at the age of 29, it is based on a story with the same title from his 2017 novel Huge Crack, about four people who travel to a northern Chinese city to see the eponymous elephant. It made its world premiere in the Forum section of the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. The film has won acclaim from established directors such as Béla Tarr, Wang Bing, Ang Lee, and Gus Van Sant.
| An Elephant Sitting Still | |||||||
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Theatrical release poster | |||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 大象席地而坐 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 大象席地而坐 | ||||||
| Literal meaning | an elephant sitting on the ground | ||||||
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| Directed by | Hu Bo | ||||||
| Screenplay by | Hu Bo | ||||||
| Based on | An Elephant Sitting Still by Hu Bo | ||||||
| Produced by | Fu Dongyan | ||||||
| Starring | Peng Yuchang Zhang Yu Wang Yuwen Liu Congxi | ||||||
| Cinematography | Fan Chao | ||||||
| Edited by | Hu Bo | ||||||
| Music by | Hua Lun | ||||||
Production company | Dongchun Films | ||||||
| Distributed by | KimStim (United States) | ||||||
Release date |
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Running time | 234 minutes | ||||||
| Country | China | ||||||
| Language | Mandarin | ||||||
| Box office | $32,556 | ||||||
The film opened the 12th FIRST International Film Festival in Xining in late July 2018. It was released in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2018, and in the United States on March 8, 2019. Critics' reviews were highly positive.