Lighting Up the Stars
2022 Chinese film
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Lighting Up the Stars (Chinese: 人生大事; pinyin: Rénshēng Dàshì; lit. 'Life Events') is a 2022 Chinese drama film written and directed by Liu Jiangjiang, starring Zhu Yilong and Yang Enyou. The film follows the story of a mortician released from prison who meets an orphan during a funeral, which unexpectedly changes his attitude towards career and life.[3]
| Lighting Up The Stars | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Chinese | 人生大事 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | rénshēng dàshì |
| Directed by | Liu Jiangjiang |
| Screenplay by | Liu Jiangjiang |
| Produced by | Han Yan |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Zhao Yuqing |
| Edited by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | China Film Co., Ltd. |
Release date |
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Running time | 112 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin (Sichuan dialect) |
| Budget | $8 million (including marketing and promotion) |
| Box office | $253.8 million[1][2] |
The film premiered in China on 24 June 2022. The total box office of the film is 1.712 billion yuan, ranking the 4th in China's 2022 box office list.[4]
Plot
Mortician Mo Sanmei (played by Zhu Yilong) meets orphan Wu Xiaowen (played by Yang Enyou) during a funeral shortly after his release from prison. With reluctance, Mo takes care of Xiaowen and this decision burdens Mo further on top of his existing life problems. After a series of mishaps, this unlikely father-daughter pair develops a special relationship, and it changes how Mo views his job as a mortician and life.
Cast
- Zhu Yilong as Mo Sanmei, a mortician.
- Yang Enyou as Wu Xiaowen, an orphan.
- Wang Ge as Wang Jianren, a mortician and assistant to Mo Sanmei.
- Liu Lu as Yin Baixue, a mortician who plays the suona.
- Luo Jingmin as Old Mo, Mo Sanmei's father.
- Zheng Weili as Madam Mo, Mo Sanmei's elder sister.
- Janice Wu as Xi Xi, Mo Sanmei's ex-girlfriend.
- Chen Chuang as Uncle Wu, Wu Xiaowen's uncle.
- Li Chunyuan as Wu Haifei, Wu Xiaowen's mother.
- Zhou Dan as Aunt, Wu Xiaowen's aunt.
- Wang Aizhi as Grandmother, Wu Xiaowen's maternal grandmother.
Soundtrack
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Lighting Up the Stars (人生大事)" (Opening theme) | Zhao Zhao | Zhao Zhao | Zhao Zhao | |
| 2. | "People Who Grow Stars (种星星的人)" (Ending theme) | Li Shutong | John Pond Ordway | Zhu Yilong/ Yang Enyou | |
| 3. | "Search for Child Year after year (寻儿记一年复年)" (Interlude) | Zhang Qiaozhen | |||
| 4. | "A Happy Event in the World (人间喜事)" (Interlude) | Xia Xiaozhi | Wang Nana | Xia Xiaozhi | |
| 5. | "Go to Heaven (上天堂)" (Interlude) | Liang Long | Liang Long | Second Hand Rose |
Production
Release
Lighting Up the Stars was slated for release on 2 April 2022 (Qingming Festival), but was postponed to 24 June 2022.[7]
Theatrical and box office
| Release date | Country | Theatrical engagements | Total box office |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-06-24 | Mainland China | 529,022 | $253,770,000[1] |
| 2022-08-04 | Australia | 44 | $42,191[2] |
| 2022-08-04 | New Zealand | 12 | $6,877[2] |
| 2022-08-05 | Canada | Limited | |
| 2022-08-05 | United States | Limited |
Streaming and viewership
| Release date | Streaming service | Available area | Viewership |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-08-26 | IQIYI, Tencent Video, Youku, Mango TV, Xigua Video | Mainland China | |
| 2022-09-24 | Netflix | Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam[8] | WEEKS IN TOP 10: 3 weeks in Hong Kong, 1 week in Malaysia, 1 week in Singapore, 6 weeks in Taiwan, 1 week in Thailand, 3 weeks in Vietnam.[9] |
Reception
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Rooster Awards | November 13, 2022 | Best Picture | Lighting Up the Stars | Nominated | [11] |
| Best Directorial Debut | Liu Jiangjiang | Won | [11] | ||
| Best Actor | Zhu Yilong | Won | [11] | ||
| Best Actress | Yang Enyou | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Best Cinematography | Zhao Yuqing | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Best Sound Recording | Wang Gang/ Liu Xiaosha | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Best Editing | Zhu Lin/ Wei Yong/ Gaoqiong Jiali | Nominated | [11] | ||
| Asian Film Awards | March 12, 2023 | Best Newcomer | Yang Enyou | Nominated | [12][13] |
| Best Screenplay | Liu Jiangjiang, Yu Min | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing | Zhu Lin, Wei Yong, Gao Qiongjiali | Nominated |