Get the latest gossip
Xin Huo’s ‘Bound in Heaven’ Speaks to Domestic Violence and Love
Playing Toronto and now San Sebastian, Xin Huo’s ‘Bound in Heaven’ speaks to domestic violence and love.
The story turns on Xia You (NiNi), a successful but emotionally drained woman trapped in a violently abusive relationship with her fiancé, played by Liao Fan, who won a Berlin Silver Bear for “Black Coal, Thin Ice.” In a harrowing early scene, Xia You defies her abuser, uttering the chilling and foreboding line, “Don’t smudge my makeup, the guests are still here,” a reflection of the fragile facade she is forced to uphold. “The relationship between Xu Zitai and Xia You in the film contrasts intimacy with vulnerability, social class, aesthetics, physical illness with emotional brokenness,” Huo explained. “Bound in Heaven” is one of a growing number of Chinese films in recent years placing women at their center while addressing important social issues.
Or read this on Variety