Black Coal, Thin Ice
Chinese Crime Thrillers
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1h 49m
Directed by Diao Yinan • 2014 • China
Starring Liao Fan, Gwei Lun-mei, Wang Xuebing
Bone-deep disillusionment and startling moments of visual invention suffuse this noir immersion into the seedy underbelly of contemporary Chinese society, winner of the Golden Bear at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival. Five years after leaving the force, disgraced ex-cop Zhang Zili (Liao Fan), now a down-and-out alcoholic, reunites with his former partner to seek the truth about the shocking, high-profile murders that ended their careers—because it seems the elusive killer is at it again.
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