A woman living in the quiet town of Yanjiao, separated from Beijing by the White River and observing strict quarantine rules, follows a simple daily routine of cooking and cleaning. This mundanity, however, gives way to an unexpected erotic entanglement when she begins an affair with a neighborhood waiter, under the watchful eye of her husband.

White River (2023)

DIRECTED BY

Ma Xue

WRITTEN BY

Ma Xue, Xu Weihao

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ash Chen

STARRING

Tian Yuan

Song Ningfeng

Xu Weihao

EDITED BY

Qin Yanan

festivals

International Film Festival Rotterdam - World Premiere
Jeonju International Film Festival - Official Selection
Kaohsiung Film Festival - Official Selection

press

Pierre Lunn, Première France
“Oscillating between Rohmer and Bresson, the film turns erotic repetition into a study of social isolation and quiet liberation.”
Panos Kotzathanasis, Asian Movie Pulse
“…reinvigorate the erotic film by implementing a surrealistic, abstract approach.”
Maitland McDonagh, Alliance of Women Film Journalists
“…challenges stereotypes about female directors and sexuality.”
Film Threat, Rotten Tomatoes
“…echoes the taboo-breaking art films of the 1970s… a movie as beautiful and fragile as an orchid”
2023 Naughty List, Letterboxd Journal
selected in Letterboxd Journal’s 2023 “Naughty List” highlighting notable erotic cinema
Enora Abry, Sorociné France
“A contemplative film exploring desire and the act of looking through a female gaze.”