Award-winning local director Anthony Chen is back with his latest directorial feature – The Breaking Ice 《燃冬》. The movie opens in Singapore cinemas from 7 September, being the first territory to release the film after Mainland China on 22 August.
Starring three of the most notable Chinese actors of this generation, Zhou Dongyu (BETTER DAYS), Liu Haoran (DETECTIVE CHINATOWN film series) and Qu Chuxiao (THE WANDERING EARTH), The Breaking Ice is set in Yanji, a border city in the north of China. It tells the story of the blossoming relationship among three young adults in their twenties, set over a few short days in the winter snow.
“During the pandemic I had a huge existential crisis, I was searching for a sense of identity, to continue to “exist” as a filmmaker, I was desperate to make a film. The Breaking Ice is the result of that, made with a different mindset and process. After ILO ILO in 2013 and WET SEASON in 2019, this is definitely the craziest endeavour I have embarked on in the longest time,” says Anthony Chen.
Earlier in May, The Breaking Ice world premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival to a seven minutes standing ovation, and earned raving reviews from numerous movie critics. The Hollywood Reporter critics selected it as one of “20 Best Films of Cannes 2023” while Indiewire included the film on their list of “14 Best Movies at Cannes.” This is Chen’s fourth outing at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, also marking 10 years since he won the Camera d’or for his first feature, ILO ILO, in 2013.
David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, “Chen returns here to the gentler observational style and hushed intimacy of his gorgeous domestic drama, ILO ILO… Rich in feeling yet never emotionally emphatic, The Breaking Ice has an uncluttered narrative simplicity that’s mirrored in the shooting style and nicely offset by the nuanced complexity of the relationships.”
Veteran reviewer Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian added, “Anthony Chen brings warmth, sympathy and directness to this intimate drama. There are some great scenes, strong images, nice set pieces and Chen triangulates the sexual tension interestingly.”
“The Breaking Ice sticks with you because it doesn’t lead its characters out of the maze, it just melts down the walls between them,” David Ehrlich from Indiewire concluded.
Beside Mainland China and Singapore, The Breaking Ice has also been sold to North America (Strand Releasing), South Korea (Challan), Switzerland (Trigon-Film), Greece (One From the Heart), Italy (Tucker Film), Hong Kong (Edko Films), Japan (New Select), Spain (Filmin), and Sweden (novemberfilm) with other territories being negotiated.
The Breaking Ice is produced by Canopy Pictures and Huace Pictures. The movie is co-distributed by Giraffe Pictures and Golden Village Pictures in Singapore.
The Breaking Ice will open in Singapore cinemas on 7th September 2023. More information available here
Bakchormeeboy 