The Black Cannon incident

China, 1985

Film
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This daring political comedy caused a huge controversy on release in China and was banned from export for two years. An inoffensive engineer comes under suspicion of industrial espionage when he sends a personal telegram which makes a cryptic mention of a Black Cannon. The Security Bureau finds some “worrying” data in his personal file, for example he was raised as a catholic. An investigation is launched and the resulting chaos provides the basis of a tragi-comedy narrative in which the Chinese ruling class is daringly satirised. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

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Collection

In ACMI's collection

Credits

director

Huang Jianxin

producer

Wu Tianming

Duration

01:42:00:00

Production places
China
Production dates
1985

Collection metadata

ACMI Identifier

300207

Language

Chinese

Audience classification

G

Sound/audio

Sound

Colour

Colour

Holdings

VHS; Access Print (Section 1)

Wikidata

Q7718271

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