The Conformist

“New Noir: Chinese Crime Films” presented six hard-hitting films directed by Chinese filmmakers who redefined the crime genre in China. The film series included “The Conformist” by Cai Shangjun, “The Dead and End” by Cao Baoping, “Lethal Hostage” by Cheng Er, “The Coffin in The Mountain” by Xin Yukun, “Black Coal, Thin Ice” by Diao Yinan, and “Free and Easy” by Geng Jun. Presented at Metrograph in New York, Brattle Theatre in Boston, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the series highlighted how a new generation of young auteurs has imbued the Chinese crime film with their own working methods, social observation, and artistic expression.