Night Train

Widow Wu Hongyan tries to manage her cold and lonely everyday life in western China. She works with women awaiting execution and every now and then it’s her turn to put a bullet in the head of a convicted girl. Her life is devoid of love. On weekends, she takes the train to a big dance hall event without ever finding that special one. Until Li Jun captures her interest. But the lanky and silent young man hides a secret connected to Hongyan’s work. The aesthetics of the movie are almost transparent, offered to the viewer in a placid rhythm. When Hongyan stares out on the grey industrial China from a bus, Yinan Diao uses the squeaking of the bus, and the humble sigh as it turns, to give glimpses of her mind. Simple solutions, like close-ups of train seats repaired with raw stitches, tell the harsh story. In front of the mirror in her lonely room, Hongyan pretends that she’s the stripper next door. It’s not a merry way of living and that might be one of the reasons why China’s Film Bureau didn’t approve of “Night Train” being shown at Cannes.

Nordic Premiere