Rocker Cui Jian's Film Directorial Debut Wins Special Mention at Rome Film Festival

China's Godfather of Rock now has two new titles: award-winning film director and screenwriter.

Cui Jian's first foray into film, Blue Sky Bones (蓝色骨头),  received a special mention at its awards ceremony Saturday night. The film debuted in a competition at the Rome Festival, which closed Sunday in the Italian capital. Bones made quite the splash for the venerable song writer, who walked the festival's red carpet along with renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle and one of the film's stars, Ni Hongjie.

A Cultural Revolution story, the film looks at life during that 10 years of turmoil, told in retrospect by a young rocker about crimes gone by. Zhong Hua, played by Yin Fang, contrasts his own brushes with the law against those of his mother (played by Ni).

Blue Sky Bones received mixed reviews, but Cui's huge fan base in China and abroad should guarantee it a high level of interest if not box office. No word yet on whether it will receive a theatrical release here at home.

Image: Zimbio.com