This film is part of Rentals
Ash Is Purest White
Heartbreak and resilience fuel Jia Zhangke's quietly epic saga, in which one woman’s fortitude and knack for crime carry her through a rapidly changing China.
Drama 2018 136 mins
Director: Jia Zhangke
Overview
Qiao (Zhao Tao) is the humble yet sassy moll to the swaggering but fair Bin (Liao Fan), a handsome gangster in a depressed mining town. When Bin’s ballroom dancing-obsessed boss is bumped off, Bin moves up, becoming leader of the ‘Jianghu’, a brotherhood of honourable criminals. But times have changed and honour is out of fashion, so when Bin is attacked by members of a new generation of wannabe mobsters, Qiao makes a decision that will have a seismic impact upon their lives. Ambitious and inventive, Ash Is Purest White is sprinkled with pop references and even some cosmic moments.
Director Jia Zhangke continues to surprise with his perceptive chronicles of Chinese society, aided here by a magnificent performance from Zhao Tao as the woman who cannot be stopped.
strong violenceRelated
Drama
Body of Water Body of Water
Drama 2020 91 mins Director: Lucy Brydon
Lucy Brydon’s powerful debut feature sensitively explores the impact of an eating disorder on a family.
Summerland Summerland
Drama 2018 100 mins Director: Jessica Swale
Gemma Arterton stars in acclaimed theatre director Jessica Swale’s moving Second World War drama, as a woman rediscovering her ability to love.
Eternal Beauty Eternal Beauty
Drama 2019 94 mins Director: Craig Roberts
Sally Hawkins gives a standout performance as a fragile young woman in Craig Roberts’ humane depiction of mental illness.
The Way He Looks The Way He Looks
Drama 2014 92 mins Director: Daniel Ribeiro
A blind student’s relationship with his best friend is tested when he falls for the new boy in school, in Daniel Ribeiro’s beautifully realised romance.
The Golden Dream The Golden Dream
Drama 2013 108 mins Director: Diego Quemada
Diego Quemada-Diez’s astounding debut feature follows four Guatemalan teenagers as they attempt to escape from the slums of Guatemala City to the bright lights of Los Angeles.
Bait Bait
Drama 2018 89 mins Director: Mark Jenkin
Simmering tensions between locals and newcomers in a modern-day Cornish fishing village reach boiling point in this hugely acclaimed British independent film.
Best Films of 2019
RBG RBG
Documentary 2018 99 mins Director: Julie Cohen
Revelatory documentary on an unexpected hero - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The Wife The Wife
Drama 2017 100 mins Director: Björn Runge
Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce are the spouses with a secret in a tight, taut drama of ego and legacy.
Sauvage Sauvage
Drama 2018 99 mins Director: Camille Vidal-Naquet
The daily misfortunes of a lonesome rent boy are laid bare in this tough but tender portrait of life on the fringes of society.
Shoplifters Shoplifters
Drama 2018 121 mins Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Hirokazu Koreeda's modern masterpiece is dark yet touching account of an unorthodox family that relies on shoplifting to make ends meet.
Rafiki Rafiki
Drama 2018 83 mins Director: Wanuri Kahiu
Romantic sparks fly between the daughters of two opposing politicians in Wanuri Kahiu’s neon-bright story of forbidden love in Kenya.
The Souvenir The Souvenir
Drama 2018 120 mins Director: Joanna Hogg
Winner of Sundance 2019's Grand Jury Prize, The Souvenir is the compelling, semi-autobiographical drama from acclaimed writer-director Joanna Hogg.
Featuring Zhao Tao
Mountains May Depart Mountains May Depart
Drama 2015 126 mins Director: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke delivers another ambitious, astute and humane drama, spanning the early days of Chinese capitalism to a vision of 2025.
A Touch of Sin A Touch of Sin
Drama 2013 125 mins Director: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke’s state-of-the-nation report on contemporary China is comprised of four stories about shocking acts of violence.
Directed by Jia Zhangke
Mountains May Depart Mountains May Depart
Drama 2015 126 mins Director: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke delivers another ambitious, astute and humane drama, spanning the early days of Chinese capitalism to a vision of 2025.
A Touch of Sin A Touch of Sin
Drama 2013 125 mins Director: Jia Zhangke
Jia Zhangke’s state-of-the-nation report on contemporary China is comprised of four stories about shocking acts of violence.
New
One Man and His Shoes One Man and His Shoes
Documentary 2020 83 mins Director: Yemi Bamiro
South Londoner Yemi Bamiro’s pacey, engrossing Michael Jordan documentary reveals the darker side of marketing trainers.
Totally Under Control Totally Under Control
Documentary 2020 124 mins Director: Alex Gibney
Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney details the Trump's administration's failed response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Body of Water Body of Water
Drama 2020 91 mins Director: Lucy Brydon
Lucy Brydon’s powerful debut feature sensitively explores the impact of an eating disorder on a family.
Summerland Summerland
Drama 2018 100 mins Director: Jessica Swale
Gemma Arterton stars in acclaimed theatre director Jessica Swale’s moving Second World War drama, as a woman rediscovering her ability to love.
Eternal Beauty Eternal Beauty
Drama 2019 94 mins Director: Craig Roberts
Sally Hawkins gives a standout performance as a fragile young woman in Craig Roberts’ humane depiction of mental illness.
Who's Gonna Love Me Now? Who's Gonna Love Me Now?
Documentary 2016 86 mins Director: Tomer Heymann
A heartfelt exploration of one man’s struggle to reconcile with his Israeli family, while finding a new ‘family’ in London Gay Men’s Chorus.