Adapted from Yu Hua’s novel Mistakes by the River, this third feature from Chinese writer-director Wei Shunjun (Ripples of Life, EAFFI 2022) is set in the 1990s in the rural town of Banpo, Southern China. Ma Zhe (Zhu Yilong), chief of police (and father-to-be) investigates after the body of an elderly woman is found murdered by the river. An early arrest looks like case closed, but Ma Zhe is puzzled and continues the investigation, opening up a labyrinthine journey. Shot on 16mm in foggy, rainy landscapes, this is a sophisticated atmospheric thriller. What lies beneath though is a complex portrait of provincial community, taught social and psychological relationships, and the quiet and oppressive existence of the occupants, their pasts all served up with a pitch-dark sense of humour.