Only the River Flows

Only the River Flows

China | 2023 | 180 min. | Wei Shujun

September 14 - 15, 2024

1990s small town China. A woman’s body washes up in the local river. The chief of police, Ma Zhe, is tasked with heading up the investigation. An obvious perp leads to a hasty arrest, though the mystery lingers in Ma Zhe’s mind. What kind of darkness is truly at play here?

Virtual post-film Q&A with Director Wei Shujun on September 14.

Early bird pricing available until August 31. Buy now and save $3.

SIFF year-round passes and vouchers are not valid for this screening.

Director Wei Shujun’s murky throwback film noir, gritty, textured film grain captures the pulpy proceedings. Torrents of rain envelop the characters as they descend into madness in pursuit of the truth. Equal parts atmospheric tour-de-force and beguiling puzzler, Only the River Flows is a masterfully styled ode to a bygone cinematic era and a sharp-edged portrait of provincial paranoia. The film, starring Zhu Yilong, is based on Yu Hua’s popular short novel Mistakes by the River.
This event is presented to you by STArt Film Studio. STArt Film Studio is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Seattle. Please visit startfilmstudio.org or follow them on WeChat: STArt电影, 小红书: STArt Film Studio and Instagram: @startfilmstudio to learn more about their projects and events.

Presented with English subtitles.

  • Director: Wei Shujun
  • Principal Cast: Yilong Zhu, Chloe Maayan, Tianlai Hou
  • Country: China
  • Year: 2023
  • Running Time: 180 min.
  • Language: Chinese
  • Has Subtitles: Yes