Discoveries from China World Cinema

A boy, weary from relentless bullying at school, steps into his house just as rain begins to fall. The moment he crosses the threshold, he transforms into a tree-like figure. His mother, without a word, approaches him – an axe in hand…

"Years of Macau" is an anthology film consisting of nine short films set in different years and locations in Macau. They include "Go Back Home", "REC-Last Days", "Sparkling Mind", "The Last Show", "Till the End of World", "The First Cigarette", "A Moment", "Dirty Laundry" and "Summer". All nine directors are from Macau, most of whom were born and raised here. The stories of each film share what the directors feel about Macau using the language of cinema to convey their love for the city.

Young sprinter Lin Ying enrolls in a sports college in Shanghai. As she becomes a sports celebrity, she starts to mangle with the upper class and has gradually forgotten the true essence of sports.

Two rivals betrayed by the same man become feuding friends who compete for a photographer, only to abandon the toxic chase and realize true female solidarity and self-worth.

The fall of a corrupt female executive at a state-owned enterprise.

Dramatization of the early years of Nie Erh, composer of China's national anthem.

In 1995, in the city of Jixiong in northeastern China, two robbers wearing burlap sack masks killed many people and committed a robbery. Everyone at the scene was killed. The cruelty of the crime left the entire city in shock. The police station director ordered the criminal police captain, Zhang Jian, to investigate the case. Jiang Hongbing, who had retired from the martial arts world for many years, decided to team up with Captain Zhang Jian to avenge his fallen comrade. As a result of the killer's meticulousness, what difficulties will they face in tracking down the case, and how will they uncover the clues to solve it?

2015 short film by Chen Guan

The story revolves around the mysterious disappearance of the Eastern Tombs' treasures, drawing in high-ranking military and political figures like Chiang Kai-shek and Yan Xishan. As they scramble to resolve the situation, a web of intrigue unfolds involving tomb raiders, corrupt officials, and conflicting allegiances. At the center of the action is Na Xinting, who finds himself entangled with a group of masked Daoists, romance, and betrayal, all while he tries to uncover the truth behind the missing treasure.

The inhabitants of the village of Xi Yang Tang lead lives of extreme poverty and hardship. The children spend most of their time looking after their little brothers and sisters, and helping their parents with everyday chores.

Xiu Xiu was abducted from her hometown in Hunan and taken to rural Fujian and raised to be a bride. Twenty years later, she tracks down her biological parents and finds they have fallen on hard times.

Short film by Hu Wei and Francois Dey.

Our story derives from the period 1644, when the Ming dynasty was threatened with destruction. This forced the emperor to issued a new decree by which the prince and heir to the throne has to leave territory due to threat placed on their lives. Chong Zen punished escape persecution in Nanjing. This course takes the emperor, in the hope that one day the prince would return and take his rightful place on the throne. In the meantime empire and dynasty face complete destruction. On all sides they bid to mercilessly destroy all enemies that comes to hand.

An ancient curse falls on a young ginseng-gatherer in the remote mountains.

Revolutionary Chinese opera in six acts depicting the struggle between Communist guerrillas and a KMT landlord for control of a village.

A story about a little lazy cat, Mimi, who was bullied by a group of mice because of his laziness and lack of practice. The story is humorous and educational.

A truck carried a large amount of gas tanks is being turnover in an accident. The power of 26 tons gas in the truck equals to a small size of atomic bomb, and will be exposed at any time. Lam and Wai are lovers, they are allocated to Government Safety Bureau and Gas Company respectively after graduated from university. When the accident happens, they are being ordered to take up the job. How do they deal with this difficult situation?

The story continues with Na Xinting’s unwavering commitment to his patriotic duty, even as he faces mounting threats from multiple forces. His relationship with the Daoist leader, Shen Jiu, is a key dynamic, as Shen’s fiery patriotism shakes Na’s worldview. Meanwhile, various factions, including government troops, traitors, and foreign mercenaries, close in on the hidden treasure. The situation escalates into a tense struggle for control of the treasure and the fate of the mountain village. Na is forced to navigate complex alliances and betrayals as he seeks to protect the treasure and his newfound Daoist allies.

100 years ago an archaeological expedition accidentally discovered a secret place, but they all died because of the earthquake. 100 years later Ma Wenjun, a researcher of Manas culture, died mysteriously, and his daughter Ma Siyu learned that her father had a secret from the Western Regions before his death, and went to find it. At the same time, Qian Wanli, a fake rich man who coveted the secret, uses a scheme to lure former members of the Little Wilderness team to the Western Region.

Four years ago, Kingsley arrived from Nigeria in Guangzhou, China and shared a small room with other Africans in the basement of a commercial building. He converted this modest space into a barber’s shop. Kingsley is keen to start an import and export company and to register it officially in Guangzhou. He works every day until 11 pm then goes to sleep in a chair at McDonald’s. He must also send money to his wife, so despite all his efforts, he is still unable to put aside enough money to register his business. In mid-November 2019, he goes back to Lagos to renew his visa. There, he and his wife rent a small stall in the Ikotun Market in the suburbs. But business is hard. Early in 2020, Kingsley is due to head back to China to continue his quest, but with all travel blocked by the Covid-19 epidemic, he remains stuck in Nigeria. Meanwhile, in Guangzhou, the director meets Evelyn, a Nigerian woman, trying to survive with her 6-year-old daughter and with another one on the way.

Discovering a severed bird that is missing its body, Ah Ger decides to make a mock body for the poor creature and give it a proper burial. Her intentions prompt an unexpected visit by the ghost of her late grandmother appearing in the form of the dead bird, urging Ah Ger to help find and care for her egg. Her actions caused her to be terribly misunderstood and punished by her mother.

A teenage girl is outed as lesbian in gossip that spreads quickly across her school. She finds herself judged and insulted by her peers, and coerced into trying to change herself by someone she took to be her friend.

Blaming himself for the death of his wife, Gao Feng left the security industry and lived an ordinary life with his son. Six years later, due to the arrival of his former boss, Gao Feng has no choice but to return, to the old profession.

In the near future, every 18-year-old can receive a letter from herself 20 years later. 18-year-old Bai also waits for a letter that will illuminate her future life in this way. However, she receives a blank envelope, and after meeting with a fortune teller, she decides to take the first step to become a pastry chef.

Set in the Anti-Japanese War, three different forces run into a complicated situation full of bloody conflicts. Who is fighting for country and who betrays?

A series of mysterious murders happened in a haunted barber house. Was it really supernatural forces or was it actually people behind the murders?

The New Stories of Du Xiaoxi

china films

Part of the Chinese Historical Ethnographic Film Series (1957-1966)

When Luo Xin'gang a new manager arrives in an ailing silk-printing plant, he maintains that the remedy for the loss in profits is to go back to producing handmade silk handkerchiefs for export -- but the conservative authorities resist any change at all. In the background lurks the shadows of the black market and other forms of graft.

Chinese movie

The film tells the story of Wuyou, the new Saintess of the Peach Blossom, who is ordered to guard the map, but accidentally befriends Fan Yihang, an army officer who comes to rob the map, and the two of them embark on a torrid love affair that spans three realms: the past and the present.