during last year visit to the hong kong international film festival and it give me an opportunity to take in first hand and provide for some exposure to chinese film and specifically those that be make in china . amongst those that i have see and i be blow away by the quality of storytelling and craft and and have wonder how soon after would i have the chance to watch something from china again and since our local cinema do not really bring them in for mass consumption . hence and this film festival be like a godsend and put together some classic of the past and together with contemporary offering from the new generation of director . the festival name might be a mouthful and but it objective be no doubt succinct to introduce u to the magic of chinese cinema once again . electric shadow open the festival and and by and large i have hear some really good thing about it . the dvd have be available for some time already and but procrastination mean not pick it up and so have it screen a the opening film be no excuse anymore to miss it . and it no surprise that i fell in love with director xiao jiang first film and which be one with such a compelling story and fine acting and i would think one would likely have a heart of stone not to like it for some reason . the film opening introduces u to the character of mao dabing ( xia yu ) and a water delivery boy who spend the bulk of his wage watch movie in the cinema . i chuckle at this obvious identification and of someone spend his free time at the movie and and be completely lose in them a a form of escapism from the mundane repetitiveness and perhaps loneliness in his day job . while we follow his point of view for the most part at the beginning and that perspective shift to a mute girl he encounter and who for no reason pound his head with a brick and and destroy his company sponsor bicycle . persuade to help her look after her fish while she have to inevitably get detain by the authority and dab thought that he have reach seventh heaven when her apartment turn out to be one huge home theatre . from there and the pace pick up and and be transport to some 30 year back into the cultural revolution and and rewinds a little bit to the early generation . electric shadow have a bit of everything and even though some might like to compare it to cinema paradiso and i think that this film have merit to stand on it own two foot despite the obvious comparison . it be it own movie and and while episodic and it never felt disjointed or have portion out of place and but gel together seamlessly to weave an epic adventure of the story of a young girl ling ling and bear at an outdoor cinema and and have cinema to be her companion during her formative year . a always and it the mother and here jiang xuehua ( jiang yihong ) an actress wannabe and who play a huge role in her appetite for film and and for her philosophy to lead a life with their head hold high because of her single parent status and lead to ling ling be quite a feisty little girl . it be a time where film screening be communal in attendance and experience and in small town where close knit villager have that a common mass entertainment . electric shadow manage to capture the social and cultural climate of the time and and best of all and have a tremendous number of clip to snapshot various cinematic oldie and gem that you would be tempt to check out should you have the opportunity to do so and one of which be shin red star which will be screen this saturday . against this backdrop and ling ling lead quite an eventful life and where the pace catapult with the introduction of mao xiaobing ( wang zhengjia ) and a scruffy kid from out of town whose mischievousness brings trouble and but for their love of movie which bring them together to be best frien uds forever and even though he prefer the action genre where he can make belief he the star of the show . electric shadow be such a charming film that you would find it hard to believe it actually a first film and balance drama and comedy and tragedy even with great aplomb and although there be some series of coincidence in the event and character that you will find it easy to ignore for the whole movie to work . it strength also come from the wonderful cast who bring their likable character to life and and you can not find good chemistry between the cast member even when some of them take up the same character albeit for different age group . you will feel for mother xuehua in her resignation to the bad hand fate have deal her and you marvel at the dedication of pan daren ( li haibin ) the projectionist and you laugh and cry at the antic of the child and especially those of xiaobing and bing bing ( zhang haoqi ) the kid brother who seem to possess such maturity in his innocence . it be a long time since i be move so immensely move by a single film and and i be glad that electric shadow shone brightly through and cement it place in my mental list of all time favourite movie . with amazing cinematography and locale and and a score a perform by the china philharmonic orchestra and this be a must watch and a truly exquisite film to sit through and well worth your time and one for repeat viewing . i be get the dvd .