Everything Solid Melts Into Air
In Post-Production
A Film by Niu Han
Starring: Alexia Rasmussen, Xu Fan, Huan Jing Han, Jiang Pei Yao, Tian Yuan, Celina Jade
SYNOPSIS
KAT Dawson, the new American teacher at a privileged kindergarten in northern China, is enjoying her newly found self-respect after having escaped from her own crisis back in Arkansas. However, a new setback strikes: under her watch, a boy and a girl aged 5 fled the kindergarten escaping the campus security measures.
The kindergarten works with the police to solve the crisis and calm the worried and upset parents. They discover a giant 'manifesto' drawn by the children in art class. Both families come to learn how little they know their children through decoding the drawings, which seems to be a declaration of independence illustrating a wildly brave yet naive attempt to break loose of their social confines.
In the next room, Christmas play rehearsals go on. The journalist from the local news becomes aware of the emergency situation…
There are reports that the two lost children were seen in a stolen car with alleged kidnappers.
Kat sets out on her journey to return the kids safely in her own way and to prove herself worthy.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
The Manifesto is a character-driven drama revolving around a bizarre missing children incident at a kindergarten. The dysfunctional lives of people are unveiled in the process of searching for the missing kids. I want to disrupt the fabric of a seemingly calm and orderly society and its people with an absurd event. The children’s unconscious exercise of free will stirs up a comedic and empathetic introspection on the hopes and fears of the Chinese Nouveau riche.
The protagonist Kat Dawson escapes her world of chaos back home in Arkansas, and tries to start a new life in China where she finds self esteem and meaning in life. She is determined to overcome the crisis and in that process she finds herself coming to indulge in the rules of the world which she once furiously rejected.
The parents come to discover that they are the ones who have been defeated by a society that drives them to chase material dreams. It is the drive to succeed in this construct that disconnects them from true emotional values. The kids naivety is the one act of rebellion which holds a kernel of truth or at least a fragment of hope …
DIRTY MONKEY FILMS
Director Ning Hao is the nucleus of Dirty Monkey Films. The key elements in our process are: ‘innovation’, ‘entertainment’, ‘contemporary’, ‘local’, and ‘critical.’ These five characteristics form our commitment to creating unique cultural works that are unique and relevant to the zeitgeist of current China.
Ning Hao is one of China’s most successful Chinese commercial film director. He directed 7 films in 10 years, with the total box office takings approaching ¥2 billion . He has the highest profit track record in Chinese film history. Ning Hao’s latest released film Breakup Buddies (2014) was the box office champion for that year.
Dirty Monkey has a comprehensive team of talents: Project Development, Signed Screenwriters, Producers, Business and Marketing Department. Owns several copyrights of leading writers, and popular China online intellectual properties.
Dirty Monkey Films Company aims to create great quality films that succeed at the box-office.
Our experience and capabilities allow us to fully strategize and helm the project from development, production, to distribution, promotion, integrated marketing and creative cross collaboration across diverse fields. We have strong industry channels and the ability to integrate resources locally and globally. This has given us achievements constantly landing numerous ‘Best’ and ‘First’ accolades in the China film industry.