The Road Home

Original Title: 我的父亲母亲
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
Written by: Bao Shi
Cinematography: Hou Yong
Music by: San Bao
Country: China
Genres: Drama, Romance
Duration: 89 min
Release Dates: 16 Oct. 1999 (China), 15 Feb. 2000 (Berlin), 5 Nov 2000 (Tokyo)
Filming Dates: Late 1998 – Early 1999
Filming Locations: China

Synopsis:
City businessman Luo Yusheng returns to his home village in North China for the funeral of his father, the village teacher. He finds his elderly mother insisting that all the traditional burial customs be observed, despite the fact that times have changed so much, and that it involves many people carrying his father’s body back to the village – the road home. As Yusheng debates the complications involved in organising such a big feat, he remembers the magical story of how his father and mother first met and got together. -IMDb

Cast

Zhang Ziyi
Zhao Di

Sun Honglei
Luo Yusheng

Zheng Hao
Luo Changyu

Li Bin
Grandmother

Bo Ji
Carpenter Xia
Photos

Production stills

Captures

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Videos

Trailer

1:47 min   |   1938 views

Movie clips

Articles
Oct 30, 2019
Tokyo Film Festival
Zhang Ziyi Retraces The Road Home
Jun 01, 2002
China Showbiz
Zhang Ziyi: A to Z
Mar 01, 2002
Hao Rizi
Zhang Ziyi: The One that Loves You Most is Me
Aug 01, 2001
CCTV
The Secrets of Zhang Ziyi's "First Times" Revealed
Jul 14, 2001
The Philippine Star
Face to face with Zhang Ziyi
Jul 01, 2001
Sina.com
Experience Makes Me Mature
Dec 11, 2000
Time Asia
She Makes Magic
Dec 01, 2000
Time Asia
'She Has a Quality That Sets Her Apart From Others'
Jul 10, 2000
Time Asia
All Aboard for the Zhang High Express
Jul 01, 2000
Nanfang City Daily
Reminiscence of my First Interview with Zhang Ziyi
More articles
Bonus

• The film was written by author Bao Shi, who adapted the screenplay from his novel, Remembrance.
• Zhang Yimou said that this film was his tribute to and heavily influenced by the work of Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.
• One year before filming, Zhang Yimou was searching amongst Chinese girls for a shampoo commercial. She didn’t get the commercial, but Yimou was so impressed that he had her to an audition for this movie.
• The audition was tough. They made her cry, laugh, read lines, but she performed beautifully. They sent people to the countryside to see how they’d overcome this way of life, Ziyi auditioned three or four times before getting the part.
• Zhang Yimou wanted a very simple, pure girl for the role, but Ziyi felt tremendous pressure to perform. He took her script away from her and didn’t let her read it. Every day He sent her off to play because he wanted to preserve her purity, her childishness.
• There were a lot of scenes in the film that required Ziyi to run in the forest that were shot in slow motion. she fell down during half of the takes. It required 300 or 400 takes and she fell down during half of them.

Awards and Nominations
Ceremony Category Recipient Result
1999 American Cinema Association Star of the future Zhang Ziyi Won
1999 CineAsia Awards Star of Tomorrow Zhang Ziyi Won
2000 Berlin Film Festival Golden Berlin Bear Zhang Yimou Nominated
Jury Grand Prix Zhang Yimou Won
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Zhang Yimou Won
2000 Shanghai Film Critics Awards Film of Merit Won
2000 Golden Rooster Awards Best Film Won
Best Director Zhang Yimou Won
Best Actress Zhang Ziyi Nominated
Best Cinematography Yong Hou Won
Best Art Direction Juiping Cao Won
2000 Hundred Flowers Awards Best Film Won
Best Actress Zhang Ziyi Won
2000 Ljubljana Film Festival Audience Award Zhang Yimou Won
2001 Cinema Writers Circle Awards Best Foreign Film Nominated
2001 Sundance Film Festival Audience Award Zhang Yimou Won
2001 Kinema Junpo Awards Best Foreign Director Zhang Yimou Won
2001 Fajr Film Festival Best Film Zhang Yimou Won
2001 Bodil Awards Best Non-American Film Zhang Yimou Nominated
2001 Florida Film Festival Best International Film Zhang Yimou Won
2001 Iran Film Festival Best Actress Zhang Ziyi Won
2001 BOP’s Calvin Awards Best Actress Zhang Ziyi Won (2nd)
2002 Dallas-Forth Critics Association Best Foreign Film Nominated
2002 Kinema Junpo Awards Best Foreign Film Zhang Yimou Won
2002 Chicago Film Critics Association Best Foreign Film Nominated