REN XIAO YAO (UNKNOWN PLEASURES)

Overview

Directed by:

JIA Zhangke

Country:

JAPAN, FRANCE, KOREA (South), CHINA

Year:

2002

Duration:

113 minutes

Selection :

En compétition

Credits

YU Lik Wai

- Cinematography

CHOW Keung

- Film Editor

LIANG Jiang Dong

- Set Designer

JIA Zhangke

- Director

JIA Zhangke

- Script and Dialogue

Actors

BAI Ru

- Bin Bin's Mother

LIU Xi An

- Xiao Ji's Father

WANG Hong Wei

- Xiao Wu

WU Qiong

- Xiao Ji

ZHAO Tao

- Qiao Qiao

ZHAO Wei Wei

- Bin Bin

ZHOU Qing Feng

- Yuan Yuan

Synopsis

Jobless best friends Xiao Ji and Bin Bin have lots of time on their hands. Time to wander around town on motorbikes; time to hang out at the smoky recreation center.
Xiao Ji has a crush on pretty Qiao Qiao, a dancer-model who's landed a gig promoting Mongolian King Liquor. The fact she has a thug boyfriend doesn't seem to bother Xiao Ji. He relates life to American crime dramas. He doesn't see the point of living past the age of 30.
Bin Bin's mother thinks joining the army is the answer to her son's future. His girlfriend will be going away to a Beijing university for a future in international trade. Bin Bin likes holding hands, listening to karaoke favorites and watching Monkey King animation. He doesn't believe the future exists.
Their provincial city of Datong is closer to Mongolia than Beijing. But new highways are shortening the distance to the capital and television keeps them up-to-date on their nation's ever-changing role in world politics and economy. For a nonchalant generation that sees the future dictated by financial gain, it's sometimes too difficult to resist the temptation of easy money ...

It's 2001 and they're only 19.