Crime and Punishment

crime_and_punishment

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Montgolfiere d'Or
Festival of Three Continents
2007
Silver Lady Harimaguad...
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Internatio...
2007
Best Director
One World Film Festival
2008
  
  

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Alternate Title: Zui Yu Fa

Directed by: Zhao Liang

year: 2007 122 minutes

Official selection of the 2007 Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival.

On the North Korean border, Chinese military police enforce the law with a heavy hand, leading to moments of harrowing abuse and surreal satire. Amidst the barren wintry landscape of Northeast China, Chinese military police officers rigidly enforce law and order in an impoverished mountain town. They raid a private residence to bust an illegal mahjong game, casually abuse a pickpocket accused of throwing away evidence and berate a confession out of a scrap collector working without a permit. The police switch between precise investigative procedure, explosions of violent fury and moments of comic ineptitude, all captured incredibly before the camera. A prime example of how independent documentaries are on the vanguard of Chinese cinema, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT is an unprecedented look at the everyday workings of law enforcement in the world’s largest authoritarian society. With penetrating camerawork, Zhao Liang (PETITION, 2009 Cannes Film Festival) patiently reveals the methods police use to interrogate and coerce suspects to confess crimes and the consequences when such techniques backfire.

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Reviews

Liz Wade

unreal. how zhao got access to such footage is beyond me.


fatvoodoo
fatvoodoo

Having lived for many years in China I could not believe the footage of unedited access this film contains. This is the "real" China and is so raw it is completely compelling to watch. I felt a big disappointment though that there was no follow-up with the citizens in the film, and that it is purely from a policeman's point of view. A BIG WARNING TO VIEWERS: at the end of the film is a very graphic and disturbing scene of a dog being killed horribly.