| An Unfinished Film | |
| Director: | Lou Ye |
| Producer: | Philippe Bober Yingli Ma |
| Starring: | Qin Hao Mao Xiaorui Qi Xi |
| Cinematography: | Zeng Jian |
| Editing: | Tian Jiaming |
| Studio: | Yingfilms Essential Films ZDF/Arte Cinema Inutile Teamfun International Gold Rush Pictures |
| Runtime: | 106 minutes |
| Country: | Singapore Germany |
| Language: | Mandarin |
An Unfinished Film (Chinese: 一部未完成的电影) is a 2024 docufiction film directed by Lou Ye, and written by Lou and Yingli Ma.[1] [2]
It had its world premiere on 16 May 2024 at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, in the Special Screenings section.[3] [4] [5]
In January 2020, a film crew reunites near Wuhan to resume the shooting of a film halted ten years earlier, only to share the unexpected challenges as cities are placed under lockdown.
The film combines outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage from Lou's previous films—Suzhou River (2000), Spring Fever (2009), Mystery (2012), and The Shadow Play (2018)—and original footage of a film crew playing versions of themselves. It was originally conceived as a film consisting of old footage of Qin Hao playing various roles, which Lou felt "reflected the changes in China over the past decade or so", but as the COVID-19 pandemic began, it became a film centred on filmmaking during the pandemic.[6]
, a separate film by Lou also consisting of footage from Spring Fever, Mystery, and The Shadow Play and new footage featuring Qin, Huang Xuan, Liang Ming, and Qi Xi was in production.[7]
It was nominated for the L'Œil d'or for best documentary[8] at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival where it had its world premiere on 16 May 2024 in the Special Screenings section.