SYNOPSIS

Jia Zhang Ke made his directorial debut with this low-budget 16mm film shot in his hometown with non-professional actors. Little pocket thief Xiao Wu never got away from the streets like his friends did.
He realises that he is alone when his old buddy, now-respectable former thief doesn't send him a wedding invitation. At a karaoke bar, Xiao Wu meets Mei Mei, a call girl. When he falls in love with her he is forced to think about his future. Can he break with his criminal past? The two are on the brink of a relationship, but she soon departs. He visits his parents in a neighboring village, encountering rejection yet again. He returns to the bustle of the town and the certainties of his life of theft.
The only future for Xiao Wu is to become a more efficient criminal. Eventually the police clampdown catches up with him. What Jia leaves us with is a simple and effective portrayal of the vacuum at the heart of contemporary Chinese society. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival.

TECHNICAL DATA

Director: Jia Zhang Ke
Script: Jia Zhang Ke
Cast: Hong Wei Wang, Hao Hongjian, Zuo Baitao, Ma Jinrei, Liu Junying, Liang Yonghao, An Qunyan, Jiang Dongdong, Zhao Long, Wang Reiren, Jinfeng Gao, Li Renzhu, Wu Juan,  Ji Jinshu, Ren Zharoui
Cinematography: Nelson Yu Lik-Wai
Runtime: 105 min. COLOR.