MAIN DRAMATIC COMPETITION “MAKING WAY”

CÌ XĪN QIÈ GŬ

2024 / 109 min / color

Han (the enigmatic and electrifying Tsao You-Ning) is released from juvenile detention after seven years; he was convicted of killing his opponent in a fencing competition. He finds his younger brother Jie (the youthful and naive Liu Hsiu-Fu) and convinces him that it was all just an accident; he quickly re-establishes a bond with the boy, who’s hungry for brotherly love and affection. Han starts training Jie with the aim of winning the national championships, behind the back of their mother, who’s clearly in a lot of fear about her older son’s new freedom. As a series of riveting, unpredictable events unfold, a key question lingers: Is Han really innocent? The debut feature from Nelicia Low won the award for Best Director at Karlovy Vary. This skilfully constructed, multilayered thriller, with atmospheric cinematography by Polish DP Michał Dymek, questions the purity of familial feelings and intentions, while also conveying the power of the images we project onto those closest to us.

A Q&A session with the filmmakers will take place during the film screening on May 2 at 5:45 PM at the Academy of Fine Arts.
Please note: the Q&A will be in English.

• Karlovy Vary IFF – Best Director
• La Roche-sur-Yon IFF – Grand Prix (International Competition), Trajectoires Award