Wu Hai

Viewpoints

North American Premiere

FEATURE | China | 110 MINUTES | Chinese | English subtitles

WU HAI

Drama

When an ambitious business venture—a dinosaur theme park—goes bad, a small-time broker Yang Hua finds himself with creditors at his door. Caught in an inextricable web of debt and desperation, his attempts to stay afloat only entrap him further, until his marriage to Miao Wei, the daughter of a wealthy family, threatens to implode. Impressive in scope and style, this suspenseful fable ricochets between Yang’s quiet panic and his fraught confrontations around the owed money. 


The film is a compelling portrait of one man's undoing, while also serving as a critique of contemporary China and its embrace of capitalism. The desert setting of the titular city makes for some stunning landscape cinematography, as well as some audacious symbolic imagery. Zhou Ziyang, considered one of the most promising directors in Chinese cinema, uses one-shot takes to dramatic effect, drawing the viewer into the immediacy and chaos of the scenes. It’s an impactful watch that may leave you philosophizing about the cost of our reliance on consumerism. —Lucy Mukerjee


CAST & CREDITS

Directed by Ziyang Zhou

Zhou Ziyang made his mark in the film industry with Old Beast, which won Best Original Screenplay at the Golden Horse Awards, Special Mention at Tokyo International Film Festival, and Best Young Director at China Film Director’s Guild.

Director
Ziyang Zhou
Producer
Luna Wang, Yini Qian, Li Zhu
Screenwriter
Ziyang Zhou
Cinematographer
Matthias Delvaux
Editor
Xinzhu Liu
Composer
Jan Weigel
Cast
Xuan Huang, Zishan Yang, Men Tu

CONTACTS

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Andreas Rothbauer
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Print Source
Yael Chouraqui
Picture Tree International GmbH
Berlin, 10435
Phone: +49 (0)30 420 824 817
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International Sales Contact
Yuan Rothbauer
Picture Tree International GmbH
Berlin, 10435
Phone: +49 (0) 30 420 8248 0
Yuan@picturetree-international.com
US Sales Contact
Yuan Rothbauer
Picture Tree International GmbH
Berlin, 10435
Phone: +49 (0) 30 420 8248 0
Yuan@picturetree-international.com