Chinese censors may be skiddish of director Jia Zhangke’s creative endeavors, but that hasn’t stopped him from moving forward. His newest, Ash Is Purest White, is still putting its best foot forward and with Cohen Media Group having acquired the film for U.S. release at Cannes last May, an official trailer is already online ahead of its March 15 due date in select theaters.
Qiao is in love with Bin, a local mobster. During a fight between rival gangs, she fires a gun to protect him. Qiao gets five years in prison for this act of loyalty. Upon her release, she goes looking for Bin to pick up where they left off.
One of a few fun facts here about this film is that parts of Zhangke’s application to this film are due to his affinity for actress Zhao Tao’s performance caliber in some of his previous work. The film’s title is another story as it’s inspired by turn-of-the-century filmmaker Fei Mu’s The Show Must Go On, his last film on which he passed away during production 1951 – seperate story with no connection, but the title itself, Jianghu Ernü, is what stuck.
Feel free to put that bun in the oven should you set out to see this one on the big screen! (City On Fire)
