Cai Shangjun

Cai Shangjun

Shanghai Juncai, born in Beijing, is a director, screenwriter and producer in mainland China. He graduated from the Department of drama literature of Central Academy of drama.

In 1997, he was the screenwriter of the plot film "love spicy hot". In 1998, he directed the experimental pioneer drama Paul Kochakin. In 1999, he was the screenwriter of the plot film "bath". In 2005, he was the screenwriter of the plot film sunflower. In 2006, he directed his first film "red cambain", which won the best film award of the 48th Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece and the 12th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. In 2011, he won the best director award of the 68th Venice International Film Festival for his suspense crime movie "a sea of people".

In 2012, he served as a member of the Judging Committee of the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival "Asian Newcomer Award". In 2013, he served as a member of the jury of the first China International micro film exhibition. In 2015, he served as a member of the jury of "golden Baron Award", the main competition unit of the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2017, he served as a member of the final evaluation panel of the 8th China Film Directors Association; in the same year, he wrote and directed the plot film under the ice, which was shortlisted for the best picture award of the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2019, he was the producer of the action movie champion's heart.

Character experience

In 1992, he graduated from the Department of drama literature of Central Academy of drama. In 1997, he was the screenwriter of the plot film "love spicy hot", which was directed by Zhang Yang. In 1998, he directed the experimental pioneer drama Paul Kochakin. In 1999, he was the screenwriter of the plot film "bath", which was co starred by Jiang Wu, Pu Cunxin and Zhu Xu.

In 2005, he was the screenwriter of the love and family movie sunflower, which was co starred by Chen Chong and Sun Haiying. In 2006, he directed his first film "red cambain", which won the best film award of the 48th Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece and the 12th Busan International Film Festival in South Korea.

In 2011, he directed the suspense crime film "a sea of people" co starred by Chen Jianbin and Tao Hong, which was shortlisted in the main competition unit of the 68th Venice International Film Festival. With this film, he won the best director award of the 68th Venice International Film Festival and the outstanding contribution award of the 4th British Wanxiang International Chinese Film Festival. In 2012, he served as a member of the Judging Committee of the 15th Shanghai International Film Festival "Asian Newcomer Award".

In 2013, he served as a member of the jury of the first China International micro film exhibition. In 2015, he served as a member of the jury of "golden Baron Award", the main competition unit of the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2016, he served as the artistic director of the love film "love spicy hot love for life".

In 2017, he served as a member of the final review panel of the 8th China Film Directors Association. In the same year, he wrote and directed the plot film under the ice, which was co starred by Huang Bo and Song Jia. The film revolved around several gold diggers in the Sino Russian border, telling the story of their life lost and self redemption, and was shortlisted for the best film award of the 20th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Baron award. In 2019, he was the producer of the action movie champion's heart, directed by Liu Zhengfu.

Main works

Directing works

Screenwriter's works

Production works

Art direction

Award winning record

Character evaluation

The film directed by Cai Shangjun undoubtedly belongs to another kind of Chinese story rarely seen in the mass media. What's more, his films have a primitive, silent cruelty. At the same time, the gloomy and rough image, calmly and frankly explained, human nature under the evil idea of sudden strong cardiac hair, has a more terrifying tension. He has no intention of embracing the universal warmth, but writes about the primitive human feelings that have quietly passed away in the material economy society, and reflects the current living situation and cramped situation of the people at the bottom of the society in China (Journal of Beijing Film Academy, comprehensive review of Tencent Entertainment).

In the movies "red combain" and "sea of people", Cai Shangjun's most worthy of respect lies in the fact that neither the plot nor the role of the two films pursue the compact and exciting plot of the commercial film. What he brings to everyone is the director's artistic cohesion for the film itself, and the director's independent creative spirit that is not afraid of the commercial prospect The spirit of the concept, Cai Shangjun documentary long shot shooting way, let the audience face the most real scene, gives the film the most simple feeling. Cai Shangjun's attention to the survival of migrant workers in China's current social life, "red kangbein" mainly depicts the emotion between father and son with meticulous eyes, "sea of people" is the expression of the general numbness of migrant workers at the bottom of the eyes, very lifelike, let the audience feel their desperate situation (Contemporary Film Review).

Cai Shangjun, who was in the same period as the sixth generation, was not a high-yielding writer either as a screenwriter or as a director. His films have a very personal style, always adhere to the social humanities and his own artistic style, record the sophistication of the middle and lower class people in China, and show the process of people's ideological transformation and the expression of their inner feelings in the period of social transformation. Moreover, his films focus on reflecting the realistic problems of contemporary Chinese society, recording the life status of ordinary people in the period of social transformation and transformation, and mainly telling personal stories. At the same time, his films do not highlight the traditional family relationship between father and son, nor take family warmth and family concept as the theme of the film. Instead, they lead the audience to think about the real social problems by describing the conflicts, anger and hatred between father and son in the process of social transformation (review of film literature).

Chinese PinYin : Cai Shang Jun1