"No matter how much sex we have, it doesn't lead to love."

"Floating Flowers in Paris" portrays a woman adrift between two cities, Paris and Beijing, searching for her place. The director is Lou Ye, whose five-year ban on filmmaking in China was lifted with this work. Based on Liu Jie's novel "Naked," this is Lou Ye's first film based on a novel.



When asked why he decided to adapt this novel, Lou Ye explained, "It presents the theme of love, which has always interested me, frankly and honestly from a woman's perspective, with a humanistic gaze. Love is an everyday concern for people."



He also stated, "Sex is an essential element for natural and free human beings. If you want to depict humans, it's difficult to avoid sex, and if you want to depict an era, you cannot avoid humans." Through the depiction of two people intensely seeking each other physically, the film brilliantly captures the human sensations, loneliness, and the desire to love and be loved.



The cast includes Corinne Yam, a Chinese model and actress born in France, and Tahar Rahim from "A Prophet" (2009). They deliver powerful performances as a Chinese female teacher and a construction worker living in France, portraying the contrasting characters with overwhelming presence. The film's realistic visuals, shot with handheld cameras as if to liberate the characters from the camera's control, are also noteworthy.

"Stillness" and "Motion": Two Contrasting Souls Drawn Together

Hua, a young teacher, has just arrived in Paris from Beijing. In this unfamiliar city, she drifts between her narrow apartment and the university, between past lovers and the new people she meets in France, engaging in physical relationships with various men. One day, she meets a construction worker named Mathieu, and they fall instantly in love, passionately seeking each other physically. Both harbor secrets.—.


What is the love that fulfills the heart, beyond mere physical connection? Here is the completion of a love story, arguably director Lou Ye's "Last Tango in Paris," a film from the visionary Chinese filmmaker who has produced numerous groundbreaking works.



Floating Flowers in Paris

Nationwide release begins December 21st (Saturday) at Shibuya Uplink, Shinjuku K's Cinema, and other theaters.

Director | Lou Ye

Starring | Corinne Yam, Tahar Rahim

Distribution & Promotion | Uplink

France, China / 2011 / 105 min
http://www.uplink.co.jp/hana/