The third film by Wang Xiaoshuai (whose other credits include The Days and Frozen), So Close to Paradise was held up by censorship for three years. The film’s two central characters are migrant laborers from the countryside who come to the provincial city of Wuhan, in central China, to find their fortunes. One, a naif, becomes a dock worker; the other, more worldly, a small-time con man. When the pair comes together to plan a kidnapping, both fall in love with their victim, a Vietnamese nightclub singer who is also the object of affection of a crime boss. The film provides an unflinching look at the alienation, crime, and prostitution that so often invade the lives of those who leave rural areas for economic opportunities in China’s cities. So Close to Paradise was selected for inclusion in the prestigious Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival and has been screened at major international festivals worldwide.