2023, 91 minutes
Director: HAO Feihuan
Genre: Mystery / Crime
Synopsis
In the early 1990s, a mysterious series of dog killings causes unease in a small town in southwestern China. Li Lizhong, leader of the local public security defense team, takes on the investigation. Together with his unusually assembled team of former soldiers, unemployed young men, and local troublemakers, he tries to solve the case using improvised forensic methods and rather limited resources.
What initially seems like a bizarre case from everyday small-town life gradually develops into a darker search for the truth. Amid absurd investigative methods, strange clues, and growing suspicion, Li Lizhong and his team eventually track down the perpetrator only to uncover a connection that unexpectedly links the case to the death of Li Lizhong’s father.
Records Without Words combines mystery, crime, and dark humor in an unconventional story about idealism, social change, and a homeland in which there seems to be less and less room for old convictions. This theme is also reflected in the director’s statement, which focuses on Li Lizhong’s idealism and his growing sense of alienation from his hometown.
About the Director
HAO Feihuan is a Chinese director and screenwriter. His screenplay for Records Without Words was selected for the second CFDG Young Directors Support Program, where it was among the five projects chosen for support. The project also received funding of one million yuan.
The film was subsequently awarded Most Investment Value Project in the Work-in-Progress section of the 9th Beijing International Film Festival. His other screenplay, Dance in the Wilderness, was selected for the Project Market of the 24th Shanghai International Film Festival.
At the 7th Pingyao International Film Festival, lead actor Zhang Yu received the Fei Mu Honor for Best Actor for Records Without Words. The film was also nominated for Best Film and for Most Popular Film in the Crouching Tiger section.
Watching movies online is convenient and comfortable, but it lacks the joy of immersing yourself in the same space and time with friends and sharing the experience with them. We provide a platform for Chinese movie fans to get to know each other and communicate with each other. We cordially invite you to join us!
Number of viewers: 5-20
Price: Admission to this event is free for all alumni members. External guests pay a fee of 5 €.
Date: October 23rd, 2026, Friday, 19.00 - 21.00 pm
Venue: Confucius Institute Munich (Gleichmannstraße 10, 81241, Munich-Pasing)
Please sign-up for this event on the bottom of the page!
We ask all movie fans who do not want to miss out on this exciting cinema experience to register in good time and look forward to seeing you there in large numbers!
Once a year, the Confucius Institute Munich brings Chinese films to the big screen: Cinema productions never shown in Germany before, documentaries and classics have been screened at the Chinese Film Festival Munich since 2013. Since April 2021, friends of Asian cinema can now watch Chinese-language films online all year round.
From arthouse and action to melodrama and zombie, there is something for everyone. All films are shown in the original version with subtitles. At irregular intervals, Chinese filmmakers and filmmakers present themselves exclusively in the livestream. Each film is available on the streaming portal from Friday 10.00 to Sunday 23.00.
The cinema premiered on April 23, 2021 with the documentary "Four Springs" (2019, original title: 四个春天) by LU Qingyi. Since then, many films have already screened, including "Inner Landscape", "June 30th", "A Bright Summer Diary", "My Father at Grandma's Funeral", "Petty Things", "Puzzle", "Three Adventures of Brooke", "Girls Always Happy", "Love Education" and "Wrath of Silence".
Participation is free for members of the Confucius Institute Munich Alumni Network. Please register with the alumni mailing list. You received the link by e-mail during the first week of the course.
We are looking forward to seeing you!
