Coming Home (2015)

About Coming Home

"Coming Home" is a Chinese drama film directed by Zhang Yimou and released in 2015. The movie is built around Lu Yanshi (Chen Daoming) and Feng Wanyu (Gong Li), a devoted couple forced to separate when Lu is arrested and sent to a labor camp as a political prisoner during the Cultural Revolution. He finally returns home only to find that his beloved wife does not remember him anymore.

Making / Production

Zhang Yimou directed this film, which was written by Jingzhi Zou. It is an adaptation of Yan Geling's novel, "The Criminal Lu Yanshi." The movie was released in China on 16 May 2014 before being released internationally in 2015.

Actors

• Chen Daoming as Lu Yanshi, who performs a heartfelt portrayal of a man longing for his wife's recognition again.
• Gong Li as Feng Wanyu is immensely soulful, playing a woman torn between her daughter and a stranger who claims to be her husband.
• Zhang Huiwen as Dandan, their daughter, stands out with her performance of a character battling guilt and youthful ignorance.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• "Coming Home" was selected to be screened out of competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
• The movie is a poignant display of loss, longing, and the deep ties of family in the backdrop of political unrest.
• This was the ninth collaboration between director Zhang Yimou and actress Gong Li.

Awards

"Coming Home" has won several international awards including the Best Feature Film and Best Director at the 23rd Beijing College Student Film Festival and the Audience Choice Award at the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival.

Quotes

• "You waited for me to come home and I waited for you to recognize me."
• "When the snow falls, spring is not far away."

Music and Soundtrack

• The heart-rending score composed by Qigang Chen accentuates the film's emotional depth.
• The music adds another layer to the storytelling and echoes the themes of longing and loss present throughout the movie.