Unmade in China (2013)

Unmade in China poster
Theatrical Performance
Domestic Box Office n/a
Further financial details...

Synopsis

UNMADE IN CHINA follows the experience of a Los Angeles filmmaker who finds himself in Xiamen, China trying to direct a thriller in Chinese, a language he doesn’t speak. He soon discovers that the old adage of making a film three times – in the writing, shooting, and editing – is in fact the opposite in China, where his film is “unmade” three times - in the writing, shooting, and editing - with each subsequent stage of the process even more excruciating and devastating than the one that came before it. Determined however to make his film happen -- even under the most adverse conditions -- the eager filmmaker can’t begin to imagine the complications of making a government-sanctioned film in Communist China. At first, compromises are decorously made and he ‘sells’ himself on the fact that these changes are mandated by cultural imperatives or differences delineating east and west. But this notion of civil disparity is quickly disabused as lead actors are clandestinely recast in the middle of the night, money is often withheld, and the filmmaker’s script is literally hijacked and rewritten without consultation. At last, the filmmaker takes a stand and boycotts the shoot, but even this is short lived. Fortunately, the Los Angeles filmmaker is accompanied for most of his Sino-Sisyphean journey by fellow documentarian and close friend, Tanner King Barklow who intimately records the absurd lunacy that prevails. What results is a hilarious documentary of an overeager American striving to make art in a Communist regime that is itself unsure of its identity. Aside from being a humorous, nuanced, and sometimes existential tale that documents the trials and tribulations of an Angeleno making a film in China, this is also a cautionary tale redolent with political resonance, about what compromises an artist suffers in order to make his or her work, and the measures he or she must take in order to sometimes right a wrong.

Metrics

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Seventh Art Releasing
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 90 minutes
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Movie Business, Political, Censorship, Culture Clash
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Francis Krow
Production Countries: China, United States
Languages: English

Weekend Box Office Performance

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.

Interviewee(s)

Gil Kofman    Himself
Tanner Barklow    Himself
Yuan Zhengfeng    Himself
Ady An    Herself
Shone An    Himself
Chunjun Jing    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Tanner Barklow    Director
Gil Kofman    Director
Gil Kofman    Screenwriter
Francis Krow    Producer
Brian Davis    Editor
Phil Geronimo    Composer

Limited Releases: Crowded House

April 19th, 2013

There are not a huge number of films on this weeks list, but there are some big releases in terms of theater counts. In fact, there is a trio of films opening in more than 100 theaters and there is a slim chance one of them will be a breakout hit. If I were a betting man, I would go with Home Run. Its reviews are weak, but churchgoers tend not to listen to critics. There are also a trio of documentaries, and a trio of Canadian films. Hopefully there will be at least a couple surprise hits in the bunch. More...


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Synopsis

UNMADE IN CHINA follows the experience of a Los Angeles filmmaker who finds himself in Xiamen, China trying to direct a thriller in Chinese, a language he doesn’t speak. He soon discovers that the old adage of making a film three times – in the writing, shooting, and editing – is in fact the opposite in China, where his film is “unmade” three times - in the writing, shooting, and editing - with each subsequent stage of the process even more excruciating and devastating than the one that came before it. Determined however to make his film happen -- even under the most adverse conditions -- the eager filmmaker can’t begin to imagine the complications of making a government-sanctioned film in Communist China. At first, compromises are decorously made and he ‘sells’ himself on the fact that these changes are mandated by cultural imperatives or differences delineating east and west. But this notion of civil disparity is quickly disabused as lead actors are clandestinely recast in the middle of the night, money is often withheld, and the filmmaker’s script is literally hijacked and rewritten without consultation. At last, the filmmaker takes a stand and boycotts the shoot, but even this is short lived. Fortunately, the Los Angeles filmmaker is accompanied for most of his Sino-Sisyphean journey by fellow documentarian and close friend, Tanner King Barklow who intimately records the absurd lunacy that prevails. What results is a hilarious documentary of an overeager American striving to make art in a Communist regime that is itself unsure of its identity. Aside from being a humorous, nuanced, and sometimes existential tale that documents the trials and tribulations of an Angeleno making a film in China, this is also a cautionary tale redolent with political resonance, about what compromises an artist suffers in order to make his or her work, and the measures he or she must take in order to sometimes right a wrong.

Metrics

Movie Details

Domestic Releases: April 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Seventh Art Releasing
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 90 minutes
Comparisons: Create your own comparison chart…
Keywords: Movie Business, Political, Censorship, Culture Clash
Source:Based on Real Life Events
Genre:Documentary
Production Method:Live Action
Creative Type:Factual
Production/Financing Companies: Francis Krow
Production Countries: China, United States
Languages: English

Interviewee(s)

Gil Kofman    Himself
Tanner Barklow    Himself
Yuan Zhengfeng    Himself
Ady An    Herself
Shone An    Himself
Chunjun Jing    Himself

For a description of the different acting role types we use to categorize acting perfomances, see our Glossary.

Production and Technical Credits

Tanner Barklow    Director
Gil Kofman    Director
Gil Kofman    Screenwriter
Francis Krow    Producer
Brian Davis    Editor
Phil Geronimo    Composer

Limited Releases: Crowded House

April 19th, 2013

There are not a huge number of films on this weeks list, but there are some big releases in terms of theater counts. In fact, there is a trio of films opening in more than 100 theaters and there is a slim chance one of them will be a breakout hit. If I were a betting man, I would go with Home Run. Its reviews are weak, but churchgoers tend not to listen to critics. There are also a trio of documentaries, and a trio of Canadian films. Hopefully there will be at least a couple surprise hits in the bunch. More...

Weekend Box Office Performance

Daily Box Office Performance

Weekly Box Office Performance

Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.