Ash is Purest White

Jiang hu er nü

Qiao is in love with Bin, a local mobster. During a fight between rival gangs, she fires a gun to protect him. Qiao gets 5 years in prison for this act of loyalty. Upon her release, she goes looking for Bin to pick up where they left off.

Nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.

"This is one of Zhangke's peak achievements: pure cinema, and a story of the underworld unlike anything you've seen before." - Michael Phillips, The Chicago Tribune