Old Stone

Compassion can cost you! That is the underlying moral message in Old Stone, a low-key Chinese thriller with a social conscience. Taxi driver Lao Shi crashes into a motorcyclist. Rather than waiting for the ambulance, Lao Shi saves the motorcyclist’s life by driving him to the nearest hospital. That turns out to be a grave mistake! For rather than being rewarded for his heroism, Lao Shi is left with all the hospital bills and given the blame for the accident. He begins an intense journey to clear his name and gather enough money to cover all the hospital bills. The journey reveals deep seated corruption in today’s China and pushes our main protagonist towards a complete breakdown. Old Stone was hailed by critics at the Berlin International Film Festival as an impressive debut feature, with a main character worthy of Dostojevskij. Kristian Takvam Kindt

Johnny Ma is a Chinese director living in Toronto. He graduated from Columbia University with a degree in documentary filmmaking. He has since directed several short films that have premiered at prestigious international film festivals. Old Stone is his debut feature and premiered during Berlin International Film Festival.