Wisdom Tooth

Young adult Guxi lives with her half-brother Guliang in a somewhat depressing fishing village. They have a good life, almost like a couple. She is a maid at a hotel, he fishes. When an oil spill threatens their income, a friend gets him work and he meets the attractive Qingchang. She brings fun, adventure and a hint of luxury to their lives, but also causes unrest. Her father is a mob boss and Guxi has trouble with the budding romance. Things come to a head when a fisherman dies at sea under suspicious circumstances. Debut filmmaker Liang Ming fluidly tells this convincing tale, subtly revealing the characters' mutual relations and suppressed, complex emotions. Tension rises naturally, no artifice required and aided by good acting, all in a world that shifts between colourful and warm, and cold and threatening. (International Film Festival Rotterdam)