Berlin is a lucky place for Chinese director Wang Quanan, who took home a Golden Bear Award for his drama Tuya’s Marriage in 2006 and a Silver Bear for the screenplay of the movie Apart Together in 2010. Just two days ago, his new movie White Deer Plain was confirmed entrance into the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival, which will kick off on February 9, 2012.

Adapted from Chinese writer Cheng Zhongshi’s full-length novel of the same name, the story is set in White Deer Plain, Shaanxi province, and follows three generations of two influential families.

The novel won the 1998 Maodun Award, a prestigious Chinese literary prize, but critics stress that the book contains a highly pornographic scene—and there's no information on how the director has handled this controversial part. But that's exactly the reason why White Deer Plain has been thoroughly examined by censors for over seven months, only gaining approval just after the Spring Festival holiday.

The first trailer of White Deer Plain was released online last August. This two and a half minute sample started with an air attack from the Japanese and finished with a stirring folk melody. The full-length movie itself has been screened on a small scale by the director’s friends, film-makers and selected film critics. Nearly all thought it was outstanding, and the film is said to be ready for a nationwide premier in April. But whether the audience will see the lengthy original (at three and a half hours) is still unknown.

China's Only Hope

Zhang Yimou’s box office hit The Flowers of War and Hark Tsui’s 3-D kung fu flick Flying Swords of Dragon Gate both failed to enter consideration at the Berlin film festival. But Wang Quanan’s sudden entrance has made the domestic media go wild with speculation and has given new hope for the domestic film industry.

In 2006, Wang won the Golden Bear with his former girlfriend Yu Nan, who had the starring role of Tuya's Marriage. Six years later, his new wife Kitty Zhang, the heroine (of course) of White Deer Plain, might again bring him a measure of luck. We'll just have to wait until the results are unveiled on February 14. How appropriate.

Photo sourced via chinesefilms.cn