International Premiere For XIN Yukun’s WRATH OF SILENCE at 61st BFI London Film Festival
London, Thursday 31 August 2017

The BFI London Film Festival today confirms XIN Yukun’s drama Wrath of Silence (Bao Lie Wu Sheng/China 2017) will screen in its Thrill section. The second feature film from the 33-year-old Chinese director will receive its international premiere on 5 October, attended by the director and producer GAO Yitian. Further festival screenings will take place on 6 October (with Q&A) and 14 October. Fortissimo Films represents international rights.

“Our programmers were immediately gripped by XIN Yukun's Wrath of Silence, a thriller that blends the best elements of suspenseful drama, with breathtaking fight scenes, and a powerful emotional undertow. We are thrilled to be presenting the International Premiere at the 61st BFI London Film Festival, heralding XIN Yukun as a significant international talent, with a film that we know UK audiences will find a thoroughly exciting cinematic discovery.” Says Clare Stewart, Festival Director, 61st BFI London Film Festival.

Starring veteran actor JIANG Wu (A Touch of Sin, To Live) and martial arts maestro SONG Yang (The Master, Target). Wrath of Silence is set in Northern China and is directly inspired by XIN Yukun’s personal experience. Yukun wrote the script for Wrath of Silence before his debut feature The Coffin in the Mountain but the project was set aside because of its large scale, which required more thorough preparation and a considerably larger creative team.

ZHANG Baomin (SONG Yang) is a miner who works far away from his home because of disputes with local people years ago; his wife and young son remain in the mountain town running a small sheep farm.

One day, Baomin learns that his son Lei hasn’t come back from shepherding for two days. He returns home to look for him, but his appearance makes people anxious.

Searching for his son, Baomin heads for the rough and dangerous mountains, but the resentment and distrust of the townsfolk leads them to turn a blind eye to the reality of a missing child, and the corruption and danger permeating their lives.

As XIN explains, “These characters represent actual people in contemporary China. They come from various social backgrounds, pursuing their own interests and ignoring each other’s lives. This is the crux of China’s current social fabric. When society as a whole is sick, no one can be immune from it. Who has created these irreconcilable contradictions?”

Wrath of Silence is produced by Bingchi (Shanghai) Pictures Co., Ltd. and presented by Bingchi (Shanghai) Pictures Co., Ltd., Hehe (Shanghai) Pictures Co., Ltd., Khorgos Hehe Pictures Co., Ltd., Beijing Taihe Zeruo Culture Investment Limited Partnership and Khorgos Taihe Digital Entertainment Cultural Development Co., Ltd.

Wrath of Silence screenings at BFI London Film Festival
• Thursday October 5, 17.50, Haymarket (International Premiere) (Q&A)
• Friday October 6, 14.45, NFT 1 (Q&A)
• Saturday October 14, 20.40, Prince Charles
• Press and Industry Screening tbc

For further information about festival screenings of Wrath of Silence and interview opportunities please contact:
Sarah Harvey
sarah@sarahharveypublicity.co.uk
44 (0) 7958 597426