PROGRAM 2025
Feature Competition
GOU ZHEN
(BLACK DOG)
Director: Guan Hu
ATP
Duration: 116 min
Year: 2024
Country: China
Genre: Drama / Thriller
AWARDS
Un Certain Regard Award / Cannes Film Festival
Crème de la Crème Award / Warsaw International Film Festival
Best Production Design and Costume Design -Contemporary Reality Film / China Film Art Direction Academy Annual Award
NOMINATIONS
Best International Film / Independent Spirit Awards
SYNOPSIS
On the edge of the Gobi Desert in Northwest China, Lang (Eddie Peng) returns to his hometown after being released from jail. While working for the local stray dog patrol team, clearing the town before the 2008 Olympic Games, he strikes up an unlikely connection with a black dog. These two lonely souls now embark on a new journey together.

BIOGRAPHY
Guan Hu, a prominent Chinese director and pioneer of the sixth generation of Chinese filmmakers, is celebrated for his innovative style, humanistic themes, and sharp realism. His works, such as Cow (2009), Design of Death (2012), and The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel (2013), have garnered international acclaim for their dark humor, suspense, and experimental techniques. His film Mr. Six (2015) became China's first box-office phenomenon, earning over 1 billion yuan and receiving wide recognition. In 2020, his war epic The Eight Hundred became a global box-office champion, solidifying his reputation as a cinematic visionary. Guan Hu's contributions to commemorative films like My People, My Country (2019) and The Sacrifice (2020) further highlight his ability to intertwine cultural narratives with cinematic artistry.