{{Infobox film | image = | caption = | native_name = {{Infobox name module|Chinese|郊区的鸟}} | director = Qiu Sheng | writer = Qiu Sheng | starring = {{unbulleted list|Mason Lee|Gong Zihan|Huang Lu}} | music = Xiaohe | cinematography = Xu Ranjun | editing = {{unbulleted list|Liao Qiangsong|Jin Di}} | studio = {{unbulleted list|A Beijing Transcend{{wbr}} Pictures Entertainment|Quasar Films|Cforce Pictures|Beijing Yoshow Films|Three Monkeys Films{{wbr}} Shanghai|Beijing Chase Pictures|Kiframe Studio}} | distributor = {{unbulleted list|Luxbox <small>(international)</small>|Flash Forward Entertainment <small>(international)</small>|Cinema Guild <small>(U.S.)</small>}} | released = {{Film date|2018|04||Locarno|2019|04|06}} | runtime = 118 minutes | country = China | language = {{unbulleted list|Mandarin|Hangzhou dialect}} }}
'''''Suburban Birds''''' ({{lang-zh|s=郊区的鸟|p=Jiāo qū de niǎo}}) is a 2018 Chinese drama<ref>{{Cite news|last=Kenny|first=Glenn|date=2019-04-04|title='Suburban Birds' Review: A Spectacular Directing Debut|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/movies/suburban-birds-review.html|access-date=2021-06-29|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> film by Qiu Sheng.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Suburban Birds - The Cinema Guild|url=http://www.cinemaguild.com/theatrical/suburbanbirds.html|access-date=2021-06-29|website=www.cinemaguild.com}}</ref>
== Plot == The film tells two separate but related stories. Both are set in Hangzhou, and both center on a character named Xia Hao, but whether these are the same character is left ambiguous. The first is about a group of engineers who survey the elevation in a suburb, and the second is about a group of child friends and ends in the disappearance of most of the children. While investigating the collapse of an apartment building, the older Xia Hao meets and later begins a relationship with a woman named Swallow. Following a dream by one engineer, a water leak in a tunnel is investigated as a possible cause of subsidence. The group of children look for birds and discuss who they like, after which Fang Tin and Foxy compete for the younger Xia Hao's attention. After Fatty stops attending school, the children search for him, leading many of them to disappear.
== Cast ==
* Mason Lee as Xia Hao<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bleasdale |first=John |date=2018-10-08 |title=Suburban Birds first look: Qiu Sheng's debut feature forges magical links between generations {{!}} Sight & Sound |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/suburban-birds-qiu-sheng-china-magic-links-generations |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=British Film Institute |language=en}}</ref> * Gong Zihan as Xia Hao<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Bowen |first=Chuck |title=Review: Suburban Birds Is Provocative in Its Themes but Too Self-Conscious by Half |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review-suburban-birds-is-provocative-in-its-themes-but-too-self-conscious-by-half/ |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=Slant Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> * Huang Lu as Swallow<ref name=":2" /> * Qian Xuanyi as Foxy<ref name=":2" /> * Xu Shuo as Fang Tin<ref name=":2" /> * Chen Zhihao as Coal<ref name=":2" /> * Chen Yihao as Fatty<ref name=":2" /> * Xu Chenghui as Old Timer<ref name=":2" /> * Xiao Xiao as Han<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Ide |first=Wendy |date=2018-12-09 |title='Suburban Birds': Macao Review |url=https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/suburban-birds-macao-review/5135144.article |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=ScreenDaily |language=en}}</ref> * Deng Jing as Ant<ref name=":4" /> * Wang Xinyu as Officer Jiang<ref name=":4" />
== Production == ''Suburban Birds'' was written and directed by Qiu Sheng, produced by Patrick Mao Huang, Chen Jingsu, and Zhang Zhaowei, and co-produced by Wuyi, Liu Xiang, and Han Tian,<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Lodge |first=Guy |date=2018-08-05 |title=Film Review: 'Suburban Birds' |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/suburban-birds-review-1202893643/ |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref> with director of photography Xu Ranjun, art direction by Yu Ziyang, music by Xiaohe,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Felperin |first=Leslie |date=2018-08-03 |title='Suburban Birds' ('Jiao qu de niao'): Film Review {{!}} Locarno 2018 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/suburban-birds-review-1132010/ |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref> and cinematography by Xu Ranjun.<ref name=":5" />
The production companies for ''Suburban Birds'' are A Beijing Transcend Pictures Entertainment, Quasar Films, Cforce Pictures, Beijing Yoshow Films, Three Monkeys Films, Shanghai, Beijing Chase Pictures, Kiframe Studio, and Chan Pictures.<ref name=":0" /> It is distributed internationally by Flash Forward Entertainment and Luxbox, and in North America by Cinema Guild.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hopewell |first=John |date=2018-09-07 |title=Cinema Guild Takes North American Rights on 'Suburban Birds' (EXCLUSIVE) |url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/toronto-cinema-guild-north-american-rights-suburban-birds-1202930371/ |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Development === Qiu has states that the film was a representation of Hangzhou's rapid development, which led it to become unrecognizable,<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Dominic |date=2021-03-25 |title=The Hit Indie Flick China's Film Snobs Love to Hate |url=http://www.sixthtone.com/news/1007053/the-hit-indie-flick-chinas-film-snobs-love-to-hate |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=Sixth Tone |language=en}}</ref> along with the central theme of memory and how land and physical space become reflections of memory.<ref name=":0" /> The film was influenced by the collapse of Xinjian Primary School in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Suburban Birds |url=https://tiff.net/events/suburban-birds |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=TIFF |language=en}}</ref>
The film is in Mandarin and the Hangzhou dialect.<ref>{{Cite web |last=陆 |first=芳 |date=2018-12-13 |title=清华学霸转行当导演 这个杭州小伙拍了部"东站故事" |url=https://zjnews.zjol.com.cn/zjnews/hznews/201812/t20181213_8975912_ext.shtml |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=浙江在线}}</ref>
== Release == ''Suburban Birds'' was approved by the Chinese government and shown at Locarno Film Festival in April 2018. However, a new law came into effect soon after the film's release which required filmmakers to get a certificate to be able to show their films abroad, delaying its American premiere until April 6, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blauvelt |first=Christian |date=2019-04-03 |title='Suburban Birds' Back in New Directors/New Films After China Pulled It |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/04/suburban-birds-back-in-new-directors-new-films-china-pulled-it-1202055569/ |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=IndieWire |language=en}}</ref>
== Reception == ''Suburban Birds'' has received generally positive reviews, holding a rating of 83% based on 19 critics on Rotten Tomatoes<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=Suburban Birds |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/suburban_birds |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Rotten Tomatoes |language=en}}</ref> and a score of 72 out of 100 based on 7 critics on Metacritic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Suburban Birds |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/suburban-birds |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Metacritic}}</ref> Critics largely described the film as defying easy understanding,<ref name=":5" /> visually striking,<ref name=":0" /> with compelling storytelling.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chang |first=Justin |date=2019-04-18 |title=Critic's Choice: 'Suburban Birds,' Qiu Sheng's lovely debut, has its L.A. premiere |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-critics-choice-suburban-birds-20190418-story.html |access-date=2021-06-29 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Some criticism of the film characterized it as unclear<ref name=":3" /> or overly self-conscious.<ref name=":1" />
The film had a gross revenue of {{Currency|490000|RMB}} in China<ref name=":3" /> and $10,997 internationally.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Suburban Birds |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt8747304/credits/ |access-date=2023-07-22 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
Category:2018 films Category:2018 drama films Category:Chinese drama films