1995, Color, 90 mins / in Mandarin with English subtitles

This film is the first in Emei Film Studio's Film Quartet.

In a remote peaceful mountain village, a woman hangs herself in front of the house of the town leader, which is a strange event in a well-ordered small town. An anonymous letter is sent to the provincial government questioning the character and authority of the leader. The letter accuses him of opening private mail, make arrest and set punishments without due process. Through the ensuing investigation, we get a picture of a leader who keeps good social order through traditional but illegal methods. Although the story takes place in a remote mountain village, the question it poses affects all of China today.

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