Vortex

Liu Xiaojun’s (Da Peng) gambling problem is getting out of hand. After betting all of his money away on a fixed poker game, he needs to pay back the loan shark in a few days, or else. Desperate, he heeds the suggestion of his shady friend Wan Lao (Cao Bingkun) to do a job that’s “just on the edge of the law”. But what seems a simple job - to steal a car and take it to the chop shop - quickly becomes complicated when a young girl is found in the trunk. Thus begins his precipitous dive into the gritty underbelly of Chongqing. (Hawaii International Film Festival)