Helmer will bow scenes of his new pic for buyers
By Dave McNary
Nineteen years after winning the Palme d’Or for “Farewell, My Concubine,” Chen Kaige is coming to the Croisette to debut select scenes of “Caught in the Web,” his look at China in the Internet age.He’ll appear at a reception Monday at the Carlton, co-hosted by producing partner and manager Etchie Stroh, who is representing the film for worldwide sales via Moonstone Entertainment.
Kaige has completed principal photography on the film, produced by Chen Hong, with a release in China expected this summer.
“Caught in the Web” revolves around a young secretary whose presumed thoughtless behavior on a bus is recorded by a cell phone, goes viral on the web and mushrooms into a national firestorm.
“We are more connected than ever, but ironically more detached from one another,” Chen said. “On the web, people create their own interpretations of reality that take on a life of their own, becoming more important than the truth. In a sense, we’re in the middle of a new Cultural Revolution: society now values perception over reality.”
Contact Dave McNary at [email protected]