25 must-see films playing at this year’s AFI Fest

Dead Pigs

What’s the story?: Five stories about various people living in China and coping with a changing world of genders, culture, and expectations.

When director Cathy Yan was announced as the director of DC’s upcoming villainess story, Birds of Prey, many were curious about what compelled the comic book company to take her on. Now, audiences will get a chance to see her talents firsthand with her previous feature, Dead Pigs. The film looks at five interconnecting stories about Chinese residents, ranging from a pig farmer trying to pay off gangsters to an American ex-pat trying to make a go of it in the country.

The film currently sits at a perfect 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes with several critics loving Yan’s quirkiness and ability to blend social commentary with comedy. In a year that’s seen powerful Asian-American stories like Crazy Rich Asians and Burning, Dead Pigs is a great contrast in actually featuring the lives of those living and working in China. This project sounds completely different than Yan’s upcoming work for DC, but the two projects certainly show the director’s range and should give us a solid indication of what she’ll be capable of behind the camera for a bigger production.