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Xiao Wu

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Xiao Wu artisan pickpocket

Xiao Wu

(Xiao Wu)

by Jia Zhang-ke

China

 

Xiao Wu artisan pickpocket

Director: Jia Zhang-ke

Script.: Jia Zhang-Ke

Cinema.: Yu Li-Kwai

Edit.: Yu Xiao-ling

Sound: Zhang Yang

Cast.: Wang Hong-Wei, Hao Hong-Jian, Zuo Baito, Ma Jin-Rei, Liu Jun-Ying

Production: Radiant Film, Hu Tong Communication

Year: 1997

35 mm, Color, 110 min, Mandarin Chinese with French subtitles

Montgolfière d'Or at Festival
des 3 Continents, Nantes 1998

New Current Award Busan 1998

After being mysteriously absent, Xiao Wu comes back to Fenyang, his native small town. He restarts his ‘craftsman’ petty thefts activity, whereas his former acolyte Xiao Yong starts to traffic in cigarettes, a business far more lucrative than pick pocketing. Despite the advice of a policeman and a hence, Xiao Wu refuses to go back to the straight and narrow. With the money from his last theft he offers a wedding present to his friend, who has become a rich and respected man. He falls in love with Mei Mei, a karaoke bar hostess, but does not dare declare his love…
Jia Zhang-ke’s debut film is so realistic that we could take it for a documentary. We will find the same character of lout without future nor aim in Jia Zhang-ke’s other films “Unknown Pleasure”, “Platform” and “The World”.

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