Sha sheng (2012)

In Sichuan lies an isolated town nestled among imposing mountains. Renowned for the remarkable longevity of its inhabitants and its unique customs, it was named “Chángshòu zhèn” (Longevity Town) by the Qing emperors. One of its residents is a villager named Niu Jieshi, a man with unruly behavior and a rebellious spirit whom the townspeople regard as an outsider. Having committed numerous acts that defy the town’s customs, he has become the target of a concerted effort by various factions in the community to hold him accountable. But what are these transgressions? For example, a traditional custom dictates that widows, after observing a period of mourning, be carried off by the current and buried at the bottom of the lake. Yet, in full view of everyone, Niu Jieshi swam to save one, brought her home, revived her, and tenderly cared for her… Later, the widow became pregnant by him. The villagers are poor. One evening, Niu Jieshi distributes gold, silver, and jewelry among them. As the villagers gather, filled with a mixture of joy and astonishment, he instantly becomes a popular figure. When they ask him, full of excitement and curiosity, “Where did you get all these things?” Niu Jieshi replies cheerfully, “They’re all yours!”—referring to the looting of ancestral tombs. The crowd immediately scatters in terror. The townspeople are deeply conservative. One day, Niu Jieshi watches the veterinarian administer powerful aphrodisiacs to horses and donkeys to make them mate. Snatching the potion, he claims he wants to borrow it for his own use. Unbeknownst to the villagers, he pours the entire contents into the communal water source, which they continue drinking from as usual. These antics push the villagers beyond what they can bear. Yet they feel unable to drive him away, get rid of him, or kill him… The town veterinarian, Dr. Niu, whose family suffered at Jieshi’s hands when he was young, decides to use a “mind-control” tactic. By staging a performance on a village-wide scale, they convince Niu Jieshi that he is at death’s door. And that is what happens. But Niu Jieshi is no ordinary man. He makes the whole town suffer for their deception; even the mayor has to endure the cold and rain, which shortens his life. Unable to take any more, the townspeople prepare to unleash their anger on Niu Jieshi’s unborn child. Unable to bear the situation, he pulls out his handmade blue coffin and bows before the crowd, begging them not to harm the innocent and promising to end his own life.