Experiencing Interruptions?

Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal

Xiaofan, a young Chinese girl, awakes one morning in a remote forest with her body covered in blood. As she struggles to find her way out, she tries to understand the dramatic circumstances which got her into the situation, events mainly related to her attractive and unpredictable boyfriend. She needs to make a decision that may change her life.

Betrayal, hypocrisy, and social commentary are represented in this story, which was inspired by real events and shot in Sichuan (China), using the local dialect.

  • Roberto F. Canuto
    Director
  • Xiaoxi Xu
    Director
  • Roberto F. Canuto
    Writer
  • Xiaoxi Xu
    Writer
  • Luisa Liu Shun
    Producer
  • Sherry Xia Ruihong
    Key Cast
  • Wan Yinhui
    Key Cast
  • Zuo Wenfen
    Key Cast
  • Luisa Liu Shun
    Key Cast
  • Josef Li Chen
    Key Cast
  • Andrea Centazzo
    Music
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Ni Jing
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes 33 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    October 10, 2013
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital HD Stereo
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16/9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Riverside Saginaw International Film Festival
    Saginaw, Michigan
    United States
    November 9, 2013
    World Premiere
    Winner Best Short Film
  • FENACO, International Short Film Festival
    Cusco
    Peru
    November 14, 2013
    South American Premiere
  • FicXixon, 51 Gijón International Film Festival
    Gijón
    Spain
    November 16, 2013
    European Premiere
  • FICILBIOBIO, Lebu International Film Festival
    Cebu
    Chile
    February 18, 2014
    Chile Premiere
  • A4 Contemporary Art Museum, Exhibition
    Chengdu
    China
    August 9, 2016
    Asian Premiere
  • 9o Festival de Cine Asturiano
    Madrid
    Spain
    September 13, 2014
    Winner Best Actress, Runner-up Best Short Film
  • GAVA, Premios Del Audiovisual Asturiano
    Gijón
    Spain
    November 28, 2014
    Nominated Best Script, Nominated Best Short
Director Biography - Roberto F. Canuto, Xiaoxi Xu

Xu Xiaoxi

Xu Xiaoxi is a Chinese filmmaker born in Chengdu. He graduated from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in South Africa, with a Fine Arts degree, specializing in the field of Video Art with his work “The Fluxes of ID”. Xiaoxi moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to study a Master in Fine Arts: Filmmaking at the New York Film Academy, Universal Studios in Hollywood, where he meet Roberto F. Canuto.
He directed few short films, like ‘Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal’, screened at international festivals in 2014, ‘Mei Mei’ (2009) or ‘The Fluxus of ID’, experimental. He collaborates with Roberto F. Canuto in all his works and together completed at the end of 2011 the graduation movie ‘Desire Street’, their first feature film, awarded in Mexico and Spain and screened in many film festivals. Co-Founder of the production company Almost Red Productions.
He has collaborated as a cinematographer, editor, and writer in many projects, including the award winning "Toto Forever", a short film directed by Roberto F. Canuto.
Currently Xiaoxi works in the field of advertisement and fiction films in Chengdu, China. In 2014 the A4 Modern Art Gallery of Chengdu (China) dedicate a successful retrospective with all his works in combination with Roberto F. Canuto.

Roberto F. Canuto

Roberto F. Canuto is a filmmaker from Gijon (Asturias), Spain.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Image and Sound at the Complutense University of Madrid in 1998. During his years of study, and after frequent sessions at the Spanish Cinematheque, he was influenced by many classic directors. In addition to his film experience, he has degrees in Music Studies from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Oviedo (Spain).
In 2008 Roberto moved to Los Angeles to complete a Master in Fine Arts (MFA) at the New York Film Academy (Universal Studios, Hollywood), where he directed different shorts (like the award winning “Toto Forever”).
His graduation film, “Desire Street”, co-directed with Xu Xiaoxi, received a Special Mention for Best Feature Film in Mix Mexico International Film Festival in 2011 among other
distinctions. He moved to China in 2011, where he work with Xu Xiaoxi in commercials and fiction films. Co-Founder of the production company Almost Red Productions. “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” was his first fiction short film in Chinese, screened and awarded in various
Film Festivals in 2013 and 2014. “Floating Melon” is his latest work.
In 2014 the A4 Modern Art Gallery of Chengdu (China) dedicate a successful retrospective with all his works in combination with Xu Xiaoxi.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The film “Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” is based on true events, and uses a realistic approach in terms of style and storytelling. The narration tells of a young couple who take completely different actions and attitudes when confronted with a situation which is beyond their own life experiences.

​The character portrayal and their reactions towards the events reflect the society of our day, as well as the attitude of many young adults in China when faced with commitment. The lack of emotional maturity and the way in which youngsters face the reality of love, marriage, materialism and responsibilities, is represented in the film.

​“Ni Jing: Thou Shalt Not Steal” is a short film shot in Sichuan, using the local dialect together with Mandarin. It was co-directed by a Chinese director Xu Xiaoxi and a Spanish, Roberto F. Canuto.


Directors statement :

“The main inspiration was the real story of a close friend of ours, which made us think about how extended and representative of society such dramatic and edgy events can be.

​We wanted to represent the different ways in which young people confront relationships in Asia. The perspective is very different for males and females, and pressure from the family is really strong. We do not try to teach or give advice on how things should to be handled; our aim is just to make people think about the nature of such issues, and whether they are right or wrong. Even without exploring in depth the social or family pressures that the characters experience when making decisions (mainly for the short format and the specifics of the story), we can see in the film how these pressures affect the personalities of the characters.”