Chinese Cinema

20 years on, Lan Yu remains the pinnacle of Chinese queer cinema

By Weiting Liu

Though never released in mainland china Stanley Kwan’s cult 2001 melodrama fully deserves its cult status.

Better Days

By Weiting Liu

Derek Tsang Kwok-cheung’s cause célèbre-turned-success story combines hard-hitting drama with woozy romance.

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A new retrospective reveals the wonders of classic Chinese animation

By Kambole Campbell

The Wan brothers and Te Wei are among the pioneering artists featured in an online film season.

The mobile-first film festival bringing the Chinese box office to US homes

By Weiting Liu

Lou Ye’s The Shadow Play and a Midi Z retrospective are among the highlights of CineCina iFest.

Discover the religious allegory of this epic King Hu wuxia

By Anton Bitel

The Chinese master’s 1979 Raining in the Mountain is now available on home video for the first time in the UK.

So Long, My Son

By Josh Slater-Williams

Wang Xiaoshuai’s domestic drama charts a generation of political and social upheaval in his native China.

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Is de-ageing technology the way forward for the time-spanning epic?

By Lillian Crawford

Two films at the San Sebastian Film Festival showcase a more old school way of depicting the bittersweet passage of time.

Ash is Purest White

By Trevor Johnston

Jia Zhangke combines gangster pic and social critique to thrilling effect with help from his regular partner in crime Zhao Tao.

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Big Fish & Begonia

By Michael Leader

This stunning animated fantasy from Chinese pair Liang Xuan and Zhang Chun rivals Studio Ghibli.

review

Have a Nice Day

By David Jenkins

Fans of Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch will delight in Liu Jian’s animated crime noir.

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Mountains May Depart

By David Jenkins

Jia Zhangke’s ambitious, multi-stranded romantic epic features a stunning central turn from Zhao Tao.

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How the cinema of Wong Kar-wai reflects a Hong Kong in transition

By David Pountain

The director’s work has long echoed the underlying anxiety felt in his homeland.

Why everyone should embrace Chinese cinema’s rise

By Juliette Cottu

“Chollywood’’ is set to become the next major rival to North America’s film industry.

I Am Not Madame Bovary

By Claire Langlais

China’s bureaucracy is exposed to great comedic effect in this sharp satire from director Feng Xiaogang.

review

Behemoth

By David Jenkins

The poetry and horror of globalisation and manual labour are beautifully evoked in this haunting doc-fiction hybrid.

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The Great Wall gets a wondrous first trailer

By Little White Lies

Matt Damon defends mankind against mysterious forces in the most expensive Chinese movie of all time.

Hooligan Sparrow – first look review

By Chris Barsanti

The opening night film of this year’s Human Rights Watch Film Festival shows China on a collision course with chaos.

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Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

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