Běifāng yīpiàn cāngmáng
The Widowed Witch
Cai Chengjie / China / 2018 / 120 min / Colour
In the explosion of her fireworks factory, Erhao loses her husband and becomes a widow for the third time. Suspended in a limbo in which her mind is alert but her body does not respond, the woman suffers the hatred and oppression of the family, while the voices that point to her as a witch become increasingly insistent among the villagers. When she is finally able to leave, Erhao departs alone in an old van that doubles as her home, with only the company of her husband's helpless younger brother, determined if necessary to make use of her new "powers". Moving from village to village, the two look for a warm and safe place to spend the harsh winter, but end up colliding with the distrust of the people. Through a rural and superstitious China, their escape from an inexorable destiny is photographed in dazzling black and white, which exacerbates the contrasts of the rigid snowy landscape and the aridity of human relationships.
Cai Chengjie
Cai Chengjie was born in China in 1980. He graduated from Shaanxi Technology University, where he studied Art Design. He worked extensively as a director for Chinese television, before making his feature film debut with The Widowed Witch, which was awarded the prize for best debut at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
Credits
Screenplay Cai ChengjieCinematography Jiao FengSound Ren YimingEditing Li ChengMain cast Tian Tian, Wen Xinyu, Wang Qilin, Wang Fuyou, Yang Shuyou, Gao PengchengProduction company Beijing Glazed Sky Production
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