Lost and Love

{{Infobox film

|name = Lost and Love

|image = LostandLove.jpg

|alt = Film poster featuring Andy Lau and Jing Boran

|caption = Chinese film poster

|native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none

|t = 失孤

|s = 失孤

|p = Shī Gū

|j = Sat1 Gu1}}

|director = Peng Sanyuan

|producer = Wang Zhonglei
Chan Pui-wah
Zhang Dajun

|writer = Peng Sanyuan

|starring = Andy Lau
Jing Boran

|music = Zbigniew Preisner

|cinematography = Mark Lee Ping Bin

|editing = Angie Lam

|studio = Huayi Brothers Media Group
Focus Films
Beijing Yuanhesheng Entertainment
Chongqing Film Group
Xiamen Navigation Media
Good Friends Entertainment
Huayi Brothers International

|distributor = Huayi Brothers {{small|(China)}}
Edko Films {{small|(Hong Kong)}}

|released = {{film date|df=y|2015|3|19|Australia, New Zealand|2015|3|20|China|2015|3|26|Hong Kong|ref1={{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-lion-release-andy-laus-778501|title=China Lion to Release Andy Lau's 'Lost and Love' in North America, Australia|last=Coonan|first=Clifford|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2015-03-02|accessdate=2024-05-27}}}}

|runtime = 108 minutes{{cite web|url=http://www.thefilmcatalogue.com/catalog/FilmDetail.php?id=17948|title=The Film Catalogue - Lost and Love}}

|country = China
Hong Kong

|language = Standard Mandarin Chinese
Sichuanese

|gross = US$34.9 million

}}

Lost and Love is a 2015 Chinese-Hong Kong road drama film written and directed by novelist and television screenwriter Peng Sanyuan in her directorial debut and starring Andy Lau and Jing Boran.{{cite web|url=http://hktopten.blogspot.com/2014/03/20140312-andy-lau-plays-farmer-in.html|title=Andy Lau Plays a Farmer in Search of His Son|date=2014-03-12|accessdate=2024-05-27}} The film is inspired by an actual abduction case in 2010 when a Hubei resident was reunited with his son, who had been missing for three years, when a university student recognized the child after seeing a post on Sina Weibo.{{cite web|url=http://www.jaynestars.com/movies/andy-lau-searches-for-abducted-son-in-lost-and-lonely/|title=Andy Lau Searches for Abducted Son in "Lost and Lonely"|date=2014-02-27|accessdate=2024-05-27}}

Plot

One day in 1999 when his two-year-old son Lei Da went missing, Anhui farmer Lei Zekuan (Lau) begins his fifteen-year-long journey of hardship searching for his lost son. On his way he meets Zeng Shuai, a young car mechanic who was abducted as a child himself and is also searching for his parents.

Cast

Andy Lau as Lei Zekuan ({{lang|zh|雷澤寬}}), an Anhui farmer
Jing Boran as Zeng Shuai ({{lang|zh|曾帥}}), a bike mechanic
Ni Jingyang as Su Qin
He Tao as Zhou Tianyi
Tony Leung Ka-fai as a Chongqing Highway Patrolman (cameo)
Sandra Ng as a Female Trafficker (cameo)
Sun Haiying as Zeng Shuai's Birth Father
Xu Di as Zeng Shuai's Birth Mother
Ma Ge as an unspecified volunteer

Production

Director Peng Sanyuan revealed that the role of Lei Zekuan was tailor-made for Lau.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11062|title=Andy to be in 15 years journey searching for his son in new film|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305033636/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11062|archive-date=2014-03-05|url-status=dead|date=2014-02-25|accessdate=2014-03-19}}

Filming began on 10 March 2014 in Quanzhou, Fujian. Besides Quanzhou, filming also shift to many different provinces including in rural southwestern mountains where conditions are difficult.{{cite web|url=http://www.fj.xinhuanet.com/dszx/qz/2014-03/11/c_119710359.htm|title=电影《失孤》昨起泉州取景刘德华泉州拍戏|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311075711/http://www.fj.xinhuanet.com/dszx/qz/2014-03/11/c_119710359.htm|archive-date=2014-03-11|url-status=dead}} The shoot in Quanzhou attracted many onlookers in the streets as Lau's fans were eager to see their idol in his new look for the film and take pictures.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11082|title=Farmer Andy searching for his son in Quanzhou|date=2014-03-13|accessdate=2014-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317080725/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11082|archive-date=2014-03-17|url-status=dead}} This resulted in a major traffic jam and some fans even climbed a tree just to catch a glimpse of Lau.{{cite web|url=http://www.lollipop.sg/content/fans-climb-trees-and-cause-traffic-jam-all-catch-glimpse-dirty-andy-lau|title=Fans climb trees and cause traffic jam -- all to catch a glimpse of 'dirty' Andy Lau|access-date=2014-03-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202031816/http://www.lollipop.sg/content/fans-climb-trees-and-cause-traffic-jam-all-catch-glimpse-dirty-andy-lau|archive-date=2017-02-02|url-status=dead}}

On 14 April, the crew was spotted in Nanchang, Jiangxi where Lau was shooting a scene at the Nanchang bus station where he was pasting missing people notice on the pillars before being chased by uniformed security officers. Although the scene caught the attention of the public, nobody was able to recognize Lau.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11127|title=Andy secretly came to Nanchang to search for his child|date=2014-04-15|accessdate=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606015934/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11127|archive-date=2014-06-06|url-status=dead}}

Filming was shifted to Chongqing on 29 April.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11163|title=Andy arrived in Chongqing for location shooting of Lost and Lonely|date=2014-04-30|accessdate=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605172211/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11163|archive-date=2014-06-05|url-status=dead}} During the shoot in Chongqing, an incident happened where a female reporter was injured while running away from crew members who discovered her secretly photographing them{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11219|title=Female reporter injured while reporting on Lost and Lonely|date=2014-05-14|accessdate=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520015757/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11219|archive-date=2014-05-20|url-status=dead}} Another incident occurred on 17 May during the shoot in Chengdu where a crew member quarreled with a female onlooker. The crew member was seen pushing the onlooker to the floor and struggling with her. Afterwards, Lau, who witnessed everything, was seen scolding the crew member for his mistakes.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11228|title=Crew member got into trouble with onlookers, Andy went up to mediate|date=2014-05-19|accessdate=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140520020004/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11228|archive-date=2014-05-20|url-status=dead}}

After two and a half months of shooting throughout China, the filming of Lost and Love concluded on 23 May in Chengdu. As Lau was leaving Chengdu two days afterwards, he arranged a meetup with his fans.{{cite web|url=http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11244|title=Lost and Lonely completed shooting|date=2014-05-27|accessdate=2014-06-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814124244/http://www.andylausounds.com/?p=11244|archive-date=2014-08-14|url-status=dead}}

Release

On 8 May 2014, Huayi Brothers unveiled 32 films slated for production and distribution, with Lost and Love slated to be released in September 2014.{{cite web|url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2014-05-08/17434138447.shtml|title=华谊公布今明两年32部电影目标100亿|publisher=Sina Corporation|lang=zh|date=2014-05-08|accessdate=2024-05-27}} On 15 January 2015, it was announced that the film would be set for release on 20 March 2015.{{cite news|url=http://news.mtime.com/2015/01/15/1538436.html|title=《失孤》定档3.20曝前导预告海报刘德华骑摩托农民造型首度揭秘|date=2015-01-15|lang=zh|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150119041816/http://news.mtime.com/2015/01/15/1538436.html|archive-date=2015-01-19|url-status=dead}}

Reception

=Critical=

Lost and Love received generally positive reviews from critics. Maggie Lee of Variety Film Reviews gave the film a positive review and writes "Notwithstanding some sentimental beats, Peng achieves a delicate balance between bleak realities and a life-affirming attitude, capped by a predictable but necessary catharsis."{{cite magazine|last=Lee|first=Maggie|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/reviews/film-review-lost-and-love-1201451764/|title=Film Review: 'Lost and Love'|magazine=Variety|date=2015-03-12}} In Clarence Tsui review for The Hollywood Reporter, he mainly praised Mark Lee Ping Bin's cinematography and writes "These lush depictions of city and country fill in the dots between the film's dramatic plot points, gently driving the story forward while hinting at the social climate of the day."{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lost-love-shi-gu-film-782782/|last=Tsui|first=Clarence|title='Lost and Love' ('Shi Gu'): Film Review|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2015-03-18|access-date=2024-05-27}} Joe Bendel of Libertas Film Magazine gave the film a score of B+ and praises the performances of stars Andy Lau and Jing Boran, director Peng's direction and Lee's cinematography and concludes his review by writing "Despite some conspicuous loose ends, Lost and Love is a refreshingly mature and accessible drama, recommended for mainstream audiences."{{cite magazine|url=http://www.libertasfilmmagazine.com/child-abduction-in-china-lfm-reviews-lost-and-love/|last=Bendel|first=Joe|title=Child Abduction in China: LFM Reviews Lost and Love|magazine=Libertas Film Magazine|date=2015-03-27}} Tom Keogh of The Seattle Times rated the film 3 out of 4 stars and writes "Writer-director Peng Sanyuan gracefully cycles through ever-changing shifts in mood and tone, a reflection of the understandably mercurial emotions of the film's two lead characters, the middle-aged Lei (Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau) and the 20-ish Ceng (Jing Boran)."{{cite news|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/lost-and-love-human-trafficking-connects-unlikely-pair-2/|last=Keogh|first=Tom|title='Lost and Love': Human trafficking connects unlikely pair|work=The Seattle Times|date=2015-03-19|access-date=2024-05-27}} James Verniere of Boston Herald gave the film a score of A− praising Lau as "the reason to see China Lion’s Lost and Love, a powerful Chinese drama about the widespread problem of abducted children" and refers it as "a film that will appeal to and move everyone."{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonherald.com/2015/03/20/andy-laus-lost-a-true-find/|last=Verniere|first=James|title=Andy Lau's 'Lost' a true find|work=Boston Herald|date=2015-03-20|access-date=2024-05-27}}

=Box office=

Lost and Love grossed US$18.17 million during its opening weekend, finishing in second place at the Chinese box office behind Hollywood film Cinderella.{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/china-box-office-cinderella-stays-783864|title=China Box Office: 'Cinderella' Stays On Top as Andy Lau's 'Lost and Love' Opens Strongly|last=Coonan|first=Clifford|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2015-03-23|accessdate=2024-05-27}} During its second week, the film dropped to third place, earning US$5.31 million between 27 and 29 March. After ten days of release, the film has earned US$32 million to date.{{cite web|date=2015-03-31|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/kingsman-explodes-at-china-box-office|title=Kingsman explodes at China box office|accessdate=2015-04-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415061153/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/kingsman-explodes-at-china-box-office|archive-date=2015-04-15|url-status=dead}}

During the opening weekend of its limited release in North America, Lost and Love earned an estimated US$85,000 from 24 locations.{{cite web|url=http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/abduction-drama-kidnaps-china-box-office|date=2015-03-24|last=Ma|first=Kevin|title=Abduction drama kidnaps China box office|accessdate=2015-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402120209/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/abduction-drama-kidnaps-china-box-office|archive-date=2015-04-02|url-status=dead}}

As of May 2015, the film have grossed a total US$34,180,000 in China, US$345,228 in Hong Kong, US$118,792 in Malaysia, US$14,787 in New Zealand, US$82,553{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/releasegroup/gr1326404101/|title=Love and Lost (Shi Gu) (2015) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2024-05-27}} and US$188,817 in North America.{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl979404289/weekend/|title=Love and Lost (Shi Gu) (2015) - Box Office Mojo|accessdate=2024-05-27}}

Accolades

class=wikitable style="font-size:95%"

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!colspan=4 style="background: LightSteelBlue;"|Accolades

style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"

!style="background:#ccc|Ceremony

!style="background:#ccc|Category

!style="background:#ccc|Recipient

!style="background:#ccc|Outcome

35th Hong Kong Film Awards{{cite web|url=https://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist35.html|title=第35屆香港電影金像獎提名名單|publisher=Hong Kong Film Award Association|accessdate=2024-05-27}}

|Best Actor

|Andy Lau

|{{Nom}}

rowspan=4|30th Golden Rooster Awards

|Best Directorial Debut

|Peng Sanyuan

|{{Nom}}

Best Actor

|Andy Lau

|{{Nom}}

Best Supporting Actor

|Jing Boran

|{{Nom}}

Best Cinematography

|Mark Lee Ping Bin

|{{Nom}}

16th Huabiao Awards

|Best Actor

|Andy Lau

|{{Won}}

Story of character prototype

The character prototype of this film is Guo Gangtang. On September 21, 1997, his 2-year-old son was abducted by a woman surnamed Tang{{cite web|title=24年终团圆！《失孤》原型郭刚堂与被拐儿子相认一家人相拥而泣|url=http://m.news.cctv.com/2021/07/13/ARTIbkCF7yvsDiOSwAosFWVY210713.shtml|access-date=2021-07-14|author=孔令雯|date=2021-07-13|agency=China Central Television|author2=赵迎晨|archive-date=2021-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715161543/http://m.news.cctv.com/2021/07/13/ARTIbkCF7yvsDiOSwAosFWVY210713.shtml|lang=zh}} while playing alone outside in Liaocheng.{{cite news|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/china-personalities/article/3140940/chinese-man-who-inspired-andy-laus-lost-and|title=Chinese man who inspired Andy Lau’s Lost and Love film reunited with kidnapped son after 24 year search on a motorcycle|last=Yan|first=Alice|work=South China Morning Post|date=2021-07-13|accessdate=2024-05-27}} After that, he spent all his time searching for his son. He rode a motorcycle to search for clues all over China.{{cite web|title=《失孤》原型郭刚堂：只有在路上，才感觉我是个父亲|url=https://www.bjnews.com.cn/inside/2015/03/29/358179.html|access-date=2021-07-14|date=2015-03-29|work=新京报网|author=卢美慧|editor1=闫宪宝|editor2=戴玉玺|archive-date=2021-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715171642/https://www.bjnews.com.cn/inside/2015/03/29/358179.html|lang=zh}} And in 2012 he founded a website to collect information of missing children.{{cite news|editor=姚萌|title=助人为乐：郭刚堂|url=http://news.lcxw.cn/zt/liaocheng/kfqhr/hr/2019-04-16/818848.html|accessdate=2021-07-15|work=聊城新闻网|date=2019-04-16|archive-date=2021-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715161134/http://news.lcxw.cn/zt/liaocheng/kfqhr/hr/2019-04-16/818848.html|lang=zh}} In 2015, this adaptation of his story was released. Guo Gangtang hoped to let his son know that he is being sought through this film.

On July 11, 2021, Guo Gangtang informed the media that his son was found in Henan Province. After that, the police reported that they had cracked a case of kidnapping children, and after comparing the DNA information of the kidnapped child with the information of the missing child, it was confirmed that Guo Gangtang's son was found. After 24 years, the two finally met again.{{cite web|title=郭刚堂寻子24年终成正果，技术照亮孩子回家的路|url=https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20210714A0B2QE00|access-date=2021-07-14|date=2021-07-14|work=new.qq.com|publisher=Tencent QQ|archive-date=2021-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715161643/https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20210714A0B2QE00|lang=zh}}{{cite news|title=Man in China reunited with son abducted 24 years ago|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/13/man-in-china-reunited-with-son-abducted-24-years-ago|access-date=2021-07-13|date=2021-07-13|work=The Guardian}}

Some production staff, including Andy Lau, congratulated this.{{cite web|title=刘德华录视频祝福郭刚堂找到儿子，呼吁更多的人支持反拐工作|publisher=澎湃新闻|url=https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13558468|access-date=2021-07-14|date=2021-07-13|author=廖艳|author2=薛莎莎|work=The Paper|archive-date=2021-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715161739/https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13558468|lang=zh}}{{cite news|url=http://m.news.cctv.com/2021/07/13/ARTIbkCF7yvsDiOSwAosFWVY210713.shtml|lang=zh|title=24年终团圆！《失孤》原型郭刚堂与被拐儿子相认一家人相拥而泣|agency=China Central Television|date=2021-07-13|accessdate=2024-05-27}}{{cite web|url=https://www.163.com/ent/article/GEPPCVC000038FO9.html|lang=zh|title=《失孤》原型郭刚堂父子团聚井柏然等发文祝福|publisher=NetEase|date=2021-07-13|accessdate=2024-05-27}}