China is not known for being the most tolerant when it comes to allowing certain things to be seen within their country. Censorship is standard practice and much of what we in the West take for granted is simply unavailable to the majority of Chinese citizens. So when a Chinese filmmaker chooses to target the troubles of his changing country in a movie and show it at Cannes, it leads to speculation as to whether the government is going to be OK with this.
The name of the film is A Touch of Sin and the director is a man by the name of Jia Zhangke. As the subject of his film he chose many of the problemed elements within his society. Unemployment and survival, corrupt officials and distorted relationships are all fair game to Zhangke.
The scenarios in the film are based on real life scandals within China. One depicts a woman being slapped in the face with money and almost raped, leading to her violent reprisal. Another shows the corruption within China’s railway system ministry, based on a real-life event that claimed 40 lives. Still another talks about the sweatshop suicides that were prevalent at one point. And even further below the surface, a message that speaks of China’s failing government and social systems as it races to keep up with the world at all costs.
Premiered at Cannes, the film immediately gained praise. The trailer for the film even went out on the Chinese version of YouTube, though how long it will stay there before being pulled remains to be seen. It seems almost certain that the full movie will never be seen by Chinese audiences, at least not in the legal way. The last person to touch on such delicate matters was banned from making movies in the country for five years. Surprisingly, however, Zhangke said that his film was approved through official channels and will indeed have its time on Chinese screens.
Still, messages like this are important for a country to be able to look itself in the face. As unlikely as it may be, we can always hope that the evolution of media within China may help to change the way the government sees information. The events in the film are well-known by the people in the country, though the way Zhangke chooses to depict them may not be as accepted. Check out the trailer below.
Trailer de A Touch of Sin (Tian Zhu Ding)
Jia Zhangke photo courtesy of mubi.com
Touch of Sin Trailer courtesy of Cine maldito
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