'Shoplifters' set to steal Chinese hearts
The latest winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival's top honor, will be imported into Chinese mainland, according to domestic distributors.
Shoplifters, directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, made its Chinese debut at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival, becoming the most sought-after among the 500 selected titles for festival release.
The tickets were sold out within minutes, pushing the ticket price up to nearly 2,000 yuan ($303) on Xianyu, an Alibaba-owned app where the public can sell secondhand or unwanted items.
Currently, the bittersweet fable about a group of plucky thieves has a score of 8.8 points out of ten on the popular review site Douban.com.
Kore-eda, alongside actress Matsuoka Mayus and teenage actor Jyo Kairi, showed up after one of the screenings on June 23, receiving overwhelming praise from local fans.
