A lie about debt becomes obsession in China's crushing modernization.
In the mountains of Guizhou, quarry owner Yu goes to inform a woman, Maizi, that her husband is in a coma after a quarry accident. But Yu is attracted to the sensual, hardheaded Maizi, and concocts a story to make her think she is indebted to him. The entanglements that follow evoke some of the painful impacts of China's modernization.
Acting
Ma Xinyu's Maizi — defiant, sensual, never victim.
Cinematography
Guizhou mountains as beautiful prison.
Direction
Lu Jian's patient, unflinching gaze.
Director
Lu Jian
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Lu Jian is part of a wave of Chinese indie filmmakers documenting the human cost of rural industrialization, rarely seen in mainstream cinema.
The title's double meaning — financial debt and emotional obligation — drives every scene; Yu's 'commitment' is both trap and twisted devotion.
CN
