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Pickpocket

Xu was once part of a gang of pickpockets, but now that all his companions have gone off to do something else, he is left alone on the streets. He is lonely.

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Deze voorstelling maakt deel uit van Rialto Filmclub met als gastspreker deze maand Ernst-Jan Pfauth.

Pickpocket

While a previous generation of filmmakers focused on costume and Wuxia dramas that were also very popular in the West, Jia Zhang-ke decided to hone in on more realistic stories with an important role for authenticity. It distinguishes him as a representative of the so-called Sixth Generation, a group of filmmakers who were inspired by Italian neorealism. His debut film Pickpocket also shows the influence of French director Robert Bresson, although it is not a remake of Bresson’s eponymous drama.

In a rather shabby and dingy provincial town, Xiao Wu used to be part of a group of pickpockets. Whereas all his former companions have left the milieu and found real jobs, Xiao is still roaming the streets looking for potential victims. When he is not even invited to the wedding of a former gang member, previously a close friend, it becomes clear how lonely he is. An affair with a hooker does nothing to diminish this.

Restored by The Film Foundation's World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L'Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in association with MK2 and in collaboration with Jia Zhangke. Restoration funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.