(SCFF) Film Review #41: 脐带 THE CORD OF LIFE [Screening 1 May, 4pm]
Singapore Chinese Film Festival 2023
Film Review #41: 脐带 THE CORD OF LIFE
*This film review may contain plot spoilers, reader discretion is advised.*
*本篇影评含雷，请斟酌阅读。*
In writing these reviews for the Singapore Chinese Film Festival, I have had the privilege of truly expanding my berth in regards to my knowledge of Asian cinema. Falling back to the countries with relatively established film industries might make one too complacent of what they think they know, and in turn miss out on films that are truly from all over the world. I certainly had not heard of The Cord of Life prior to this, and I sincerely doubt I would have later on, so I must extend my gratitude on that front.
Film Still from The Cord of Life (2022)
The Cord of Life hails from Mongolia, a country which I am very sure that I had never seen a movie from. Alus is an electronic musician confused about what he wants in life. After a call home he returns to visit his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, living like a captive in his brother’s city apartment, so he decides to take her back to the grassland in search of the home she yearns for. As his mother’s condition worsens, Alus tries to stop her from getting lost by tying her to him with a rope, the titular cord of life.
Film Still from The Cord of Life (2022)
With a film as thematically heavy as this, I found the overall execution of it to be quite interesting. There is a definite heart to this film; Alus, played by Yidur, and Alus’s mother, played by Badma, have a very authentic chemistry, and the film is able to showcase that as it balances between more light-hearted and emotionally wrought scenes, though the overall mood is never far from bittersweet. One could argue that the film suffers a potential pitfall in trivialising the necessary sacrifices and patience that one needs to handle someone with Alzheimer’s, but I would say that in the end, it succeeds in treating this particular subject matter in a relatively respectful light.
Film Still from The Cord of Life (2022)
While The Cord of Life is ostensibly about a city-dwelling man helping his mother find a sense of peace in her waning days, it uses this exploration of familial love as its foundation to explore other themes, with a relative emphasis on returning to one’s traditional culture, their “roots”; To not leave it in the past entirely, but instead imbue it to your present and future. Alus, having accompanied his mother for a time, decides to record some sounds of Mongolian nature that he could use for his music. In lieu of this mindset, director Qiao Sixue is certainly not hesitant to highlight her own culture in this film, as we see gorgeous extreme wide-shot cinematography of rural, Mongolian grassland, tapping into a sense of naturalistic expressionism along the veins of Tian Zhuangzhuang’s The Horse Thief. We get to listen in to both traditional and Mongolian music, and even partake in a traditional ceremony. There is a sense of ‘personal representation’ that exudes stronger than perhaps the main plot itself, but that is not automatically a bad thing. The lingering desire of having the stories of your own culture and background being accurately portrayed on screen is certainly an understandable one.
Film Still from The Cord of Life (2022)
In summary, The Cord of Life is a film full of life and heart, tender in its story and unabashed in its setting. As the debut feature for Qiao Sixue, she displays a promise of development that could lead her to being a sentimental filmmaker who firmly weaves her own culture into her filmmaking, a prospect I can certainly respect. Definitely a movie to seek out if you’re interested in stories from Asian countries not often focused on, especially on the cinematic stage.
Film Still from The Cord of Life (2022)
About the Author: Wei Li Heng is an avid lover of uncovering and writing about obscure and underseen Asian cinema. He hopes to discover local cinematic gems and share them to a wider audience.
-----
This review was written as part of a series of reviews by Heng Wei Li for selected films that will be screened during Singapore Chinese Film Festival 2023.
脐带 The Cord of Life screens on 1 May, 4pm at Golden Village Bugis+. The screening will also be followed by an in-cinema live Q&A session. Tickets are available here: https://www.gv.com.sg/SCFFCord
For more info on SCFF 2023, visit the official website:
https://www.scff.sg/
-----
About the Movie:
中国 China｜2022 | 96 mins | PG
蒙古语 Mongolian
英文字幕 English subtitles
导演 Director: 乔思雪 QIAO Sixue
新加坡首映 Singapore Premiere
主演 Cast:
巴德玛、伊德尔
Badma, Yider
简介 Synopsis:
迷茫的蒙古族电子音乐人阿鲁斯，不忍患阿尔兹海姆症的母亲在城市中遭受哥哥的囚禁，带她重回草原寻找她心中的家。路途中母亲病情加重，为了防止走失，阿鲁斯在两人之间系了一根绳子。这根生命之绳，把他重新和母亲的内心、故乡的文化系在了一起。
阿鲁斯逐渐接受了母亲用蒙古族人的方式看待生命和死亡，终于意识到生命之绳其实是对她的另一种囚禁。在母亲弥留之际他剪断绳子，将母亲重新放归草原，给了她真正的爱和尊严。自此阿鲁斯也获得了新生。
Alus is a Mongolian electronic musician confused about what he wants in life. He also cannot bear to see his mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, living like a captive in his brother’s city apartment. So he decides to take her back to the grassland in search of the home she yearns for. Alus tries to stop her from getting lost by tying his mother to him with a rope. The rope is like an umbilical cord that reconnects him to his mother’s thoughts and his native culture.
Alus gradually comes to terms with his mother’s traditional Mongolian approach to life and death, and eventually realises that the rope he has used to tie his mother to him is just another form of captivity. He cuts the cord that binds them, setting her free and providing her with the love and dignity she truly needs. Meanwhile, Alus himself also gains a new lease of life.
奖项 Awards:
第4届海南岛国际电影节：最佳技术奖
The 4th Hainan Island International Film Festival: Best Artistic Contribution Award
*映后交流（现场）Post-screening Q&A (on-site)
脐带 The Cord of Life screens on 1 May, 4pm at Golden Village Bugis+.
The screening will also be followed by an in-cinema live Q&A session.
Tickets are available here:
https://www.gv.com.sg/SCFFCord
BLOG
