The Cremator follows a funeral director who sells “ghost wives” or “gate passing spouses” to families in mourning who feel it is their family obligation to provide companionship for their unwed and departed male relatives. In this town cremation is anathema to everyone in the community, so leaving the world with a spouse insures a proper burial. One day the funeral director decides to take his own posthumous bride after he discovers he has been diagnosed with cancer. However, problems arise when he finds a ghost wife but then later meets her twin sister. The film was selected to play at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the largest and most prestigious film festival in North America.
China, 2012, 90 Min, Color, Mandarin with English subtitles
DATE: September 20 (Thursday)
TIME: 7-9:00pm
VENUE: Riverbank Cafe, G Floor, 39 Maizidianxi Street, Chaoyang district, 北京朝阳区麦子店西街39号 富驿时尚酒店G层
ENTRANCE: free to FCCC members, 80 RMB on the door to non-members
REGISTRATION: email fcccadmin@gmail.com
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR:
Peng Tao is from Beijing and studied film at the Beijing Film Academy. He has directed three feature films including Little Moth (2007), Floating in Memory (2009) and The Cremator (2012). He recently returned from the Toronto International Film Festival and will be in attendance after the screening to answer questions from the public.