Despite only releasing two previous feature films, filmmaker Wei Shujun has already become a favorite of the Cannes Film Festival. And now, with his third film, “Only the River Flows,” the relatively new filmmaker has scored a Cannes Hat Trick (to borrow a sports phrase).
As seen in the teaser for “Only the River Flows,” the film follows the story of a police cheap in rural China who is leading a murder investigation that gives him a bit more than he bargained for. After an early arrest, clues start to appear that lead the chief to believe that maybe there’s more to the case than originally thought.
As mentioned, Wei Shujun is no stranger to the Cannes Film Festival. His first two films “Striding Into the Wind” (2020) and “Ripples of Life” (2021) both debuted at the prestigious event. Now, Wei has “Only the River Flows,” which is part of the Un Certain Regard section of this year’s Cannes. That’s three for three. Not too bad, right?
“Only the River Flows” is set to make its world premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. An international release has yet to be announced. You can watch the teaser below.
Here’s the synopsis:
1990s, Banpo Town, rural China. A woman’s body is found by the river. Ma Zhe, Chief of the Criminal Police, heads up the murder investigation that leads to an obvious arrest. His superiors hurry to congratulate him, but several clues push Ma Zhe to delve deeper into the hidden behavior of his fellow citizens.