Showing @ Filmhouse, Edinburgh Wed 26 June & Cineworld, Edinburgh,  Sat 29 June

Li Lou / China/Canada / 2012 / 71 mins

To say the the makers of Emperor Visits the Hell have taken a convoluted classic of Chinese literature and turned it into an exercise in banality may sound like a slight, but it is actually a huge credit to all involved. The slow pacing, monochrome palette and subtle performances by non-professional actors instead turn what could have been a big-budget indulgence into a witty little piece of satire that transcends borders, cultures and time periods.

Titular character Li Shimin is a revered politician and leader but he is not without his faults. When he fails to save the life of the hotheaded Dragon King, his ghosts begin to catch up with him – literally. And even the Emperor is not immune to red tape, as we see him queue for an audience with various Underworld officials and negotiate solutions for his past shortcomings. The decision to use crisp black and white proves another triumph, giving the whole a film noir look that underscores the suspicion that these mythic characters are little more than petty hoodlums and hustlers.  And suddenly one begins to see the true power of the classics – our own lives are pretty epic in scale after all.

Showing as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2013