Acting
Ge You's face does three hours of work in every glance.
Direction
Xia Gang frames desire through what characters don't say.
Director
Xia Gang
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Part of China's 'Sixth Generation' filmmaking wave, capturing post-Tiananmen spiritual malaise among urban intellectuals. The 'visa abroad' obsession mirrors a nation wrestling with opened borders and closed hearts.
Ge You won Best Actor at Cannes for this role, becoming the first Chinese actor to do so. Director Xia Gang shot the hotel scenes in actual diplomatic residences, lending that suffocating 'liminal space' authenticity.
CN
