A Touch of Sin

Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke’s shocking new film draws on spectacular true-crime stories. The oblique observer of how societal change impacts individual lives (Still Life, The World) now confronts contemporary violence head-on. The four interlinked tales he tells add up to an extraordinarily forthright condemnation of corruption and amorality within China’s economic miracle. His film took the award for Best Screenplay at Cannes in May.