''Xiao Wu'' (), also known as ''Pickpocket'', is a

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

Chinese

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

and the first directed by

Jia Zhangke Jia Zhangke ( zh, s=贾樟柯, born 24 May 1970) is a Chinese film and television director, screenwriter, producer, actor and writer. He is the founder of Pingyao International Film Festival, dean of the Shanxi Film Academy of Shanxi Media Co ...

. Starring

Wang Hongwei Wang Hongwei (; born in Anyang, Henan) is a Chinese actor. Wang is perhaps best known for his work with director Jia Zhangke. The two men were classmates at the Beijing Film Academy when they began their professional relationship, with Wang star ...

in the title role along with Hao Hongjian and Zuo Baitao, it was filmed in Fenyang, Jia's hometown, in

16 mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

Synopsis

In a small, dirty, poor provincial town looking to crack down on crime in 1997, and under the backdrop of the

transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony, which began in 1841. Hong Kong was established as a specia ...

, Xiao Wu is one of a group of pickpockets, most of whom have moved on to become small traders and legal or semi-legal. One of them, formerly a close friend, is getting married and decides not to invite Xiao Wu, a reminder of the past. He drifts around, discontent with life, but makes no effort to change. He acquires a girlfriend, a prostitute who takes a liking to him, but she drops him when she finds someone better. He visits his poor-peasant family but ends up arguing with his parents and saying he won't ever return. Finally, he gets arrested and is left handcuffed in the middle of the street with a disapproving crowd watching him.

Production history

While a student in the mid-1990s, Jia Zhangke remained a relative unknown at China's prestigious Beijing Film Academy. While still in school, Jia directed the short film '' Xiao Shan Going Home,'' which he was eventually able to screen abroad, winning the top prize at the 1997 Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards This success brought Jia into contact with cinematographer

Yu Lik-wai Yu Lik-wai (; born 12 August 1966), sometimes credited as Nelson Yu, is a Hong Kong cinematographer, film director, and occasional film producer. Born in Hong Kong, Yu Lik-wai was educated at Belgium's INSAS ( Institut National Superieur des Art ...

and producer Li Kit Ming. With their support, Jia was able to begin work on ''Xiao Wu'', which would become his first feature film. ''Xiao Wu'' was shot on a mere 400,000 RMB budget (or about $50,000 US).

Reception

In a retrospective review for ''The New York Times'',

J. Hoberman James Lewis Hoberman (born March 14, 1949) is an American film critic, journalist, author and academic. He began working at ''The Village Voice'' in the 1970s, became a full-time staff writer in 1983, and was the newspaper's senior film critic f ...

notes that "Observational, mainly in medium shot and almost plotless, ''Xiao Wu'' has a documentary quality." ''Xiao Wu'' was praised by the American filmmaker

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...

, a noted fan of Jia's works.

Awards and nominations

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...

, Forum section,

** NETPAC Award ** Wolfgang Staudte Award *

Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema The Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI, ) is an international festival of independent films organized each year in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. History The festival had its first edition in April 1999 and i ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

** Official selection * Nantes Three Continents Festival,

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

** Golden Montgolfiere (Tied with Wandâfuru raifu) * Pusan International Film Festival,

** New Currents Award *

San Francisco International Film Festival The San Francisco International Film Festival (abbreviated as SFIFF), organized by SFFILM, is held each spring for two weeks, presenting around 200 films from over 50 countries. The festival highlights current trends in international film and vid ...

** SKYY Prize *

Vancouver International Film Festival The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, for two weeks in late September and early October. The festival is operated by the Greater Vancouver International Film Festi ...

Dragons and Tigers Award VIFF Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema was an award from the Vancouver International Film Festival for a film director from the Asia-Pacific region. Presented to a film judged as the best film by an emerging director within the festival's D ...

Notes

External links

*
''Xiao Wu''
at the Chinese Movie Database * {{New Currents 1997 films 1998 films 1997 drama films Chinese independent films Films directed by Jia Zhangke Films set in 1997 Films set in China Films set in Shanxi 1990s Mandarin-language films 1997 directorial debut films