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Directed by Li Yang
China, 2003, 89 minutes

Winner - Silver Berlin Bear, 2003 Berlin International Film Festival

Winner - Best Feature, 2003 Tribeca Film Festival

Blind Shaft tells the story of two itinerant miners (Song Jinming and Tang Chaoyang) who risk their lives under dangerous working conditions and develop a murderous scheme in order to better their lives. In the dark caves of one of the many illegal Chinese coalmines, Song and Tang murder a co-worker whom they have convinced to pose as Tang’s brother. By making the co-worker’s death seem like an accident for which the mine owner could be investigated by the government, they are able to extort money from the owner. After leaving with their hush money, Tang and Song hit a nearby town and soon come upon another potential “relative,” this time an innocent 16-year-old boy named Yuan Fengming, who has been forced to quit school due to his father’s disappearance. Tang agrees to help Yuan find a job at a coalmine, but only under one condition - he must agree to pretend to be Song’s nephew. As Tang and Song befriend their new victim, the boys simplicity and naiveté gradually alter the partners’ relationship. And at the last minute, the two men’s scheme takes an unexpected turn.

“It is a true piece of film magic.” - Elvis Mitchell, New York Times

Purchase the Blind Shaft DVD

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