‘The Great Skull’ Director, Cast on Shanghai Dialect Cinema and Portraying Grief

Article excerpt

"The Great Skull," a Shanghai dialect tragicomedy about grief and family, opened the Golden Goblet competition at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 12. Director Liu Xiaoyang, screenwriter Zhang Xiaoying, and lead actors Wen Qi, Ni Hongjie, and Yu Entai gathered for a press conference to discuss the film's exploration of how the city's distinct dialect shapes character and emotion. Set against Shanghai's backdrop, the film navigates the complicated terrain between tragedy and dark humor as its characters grapple with loss. The filmmakers spoke about the creative challenges of centering a regional cinema tradition that remains underrepresented in Chinese film festivals.