Directed by Yimou Zhang
Starring Yi Zhang, Haocun Liu and Wei Fan

How important is one second? How much trouble would you go to for just a moment?

An ephemeral glimmer of connection?

What if that one moment becomes a shared moment? An instance of an experience universally loved?

Because who doesn’t love the spectacle, the razz, the lights and dizzying heights of cinema?

One Second is not just a delightfully sentimental journey of one man searching for his one moment. It is an homage to the enchantment of cinema, the love we have for it and the way it allows us to thoroughly escape the struggles of everyday life.

Breathtakingly captured with a plot line so simple it could have easily been a silent film, this film speaks so much with so few words. Shot largely in the desert in North Western China, Xiaoding Zhao (House of Flying Daggers) captured the dusky and ever-changing landscape with its air of seriousness and juxtaposed it hilariously with comical ‘chase’ scenes across the dunes. It is clear that Yimou is paying tribute to the early days of cinema with trademark Charlie Chaplin/Buster Keaton humour woven throughout the film.

Whilst this film was delayed by nearly three years, edited, re-edited and in some places, re-shot (government censorship) the film has still retained such warmth, the original intent was still very much intact.

A film about film; so charming you remember why you love films so much in the first place.

One Second is showing at Cinema Nova and Palace Balwyn from December 16, Palace Central (NSW), Palace James St (QLD) and Palace Nova Eastend (SA) from January 20 and during the Perth Festival March 14-20.

Moviedoc thanks Rialto Distribution and Ned & Co for the screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Jemma for Moviedoc

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