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PAGE?18 themes he continues to explore in his subsequent major releases – The World, Still Life and 24 City. These were all made within the Chinese film system, but still managed to maintain a hardhitting political message. He explains his motives simply: ‘Everything’s political; all scenes of the everyday contain political information.’ ‘ultraviolent’ shotgun rampage against corrupt officials (he’s not been compared to Tarantino for nothing, you know) and prostitution all contribute to a film that seems fairly out of line with harmonious society. Oh yeah - and there’s a high speed rail crash thrown in for good measure. ? Quite how this will make it to mainland screens we’re not sure, but Jia is adamant that he has the necessary permissions. We’ll believe it when we see it but it may be best to hunt down a DVD copy and get ready for an uncompromising take on modern China. ? Don’t Miss: Still Life is Jia’s most critically acclaimed film, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. ? Hidden Gem: I Wish I Knew. Jia doesn’t only direct feature length films, he also has quite a flair for short films and documentaries. This falls into the latter category and provides a wonderful reflective viewpoint on Shanghai with some touching interviews. n ? His latest work takes no prisoners in its overtly political nature. A Foxconn-style suicide, an • A Touch of Sin is scheduled for release at the end of November in mainland China. SHANGHAI247.NET 247TICKETS.CN