If Birds of Prey was your first exposure to director Cathy Yan, that’s alright. Not many people had a chance to see her debut, the 2018 film Dead Pigs, a favorite on the indie festival circuit at the time. It premiered at Sundance but never had a true U.S. release, however that’s about to change thanks to Mubi, who are releasing it onto the streaming service this Friday, February 12th.
Based on a true story, Dead Pigs follows “the fates of an unlucky pig farmer, a feisty home-owner defending her property, a lovestruck busboy, a disenchanted rich girl, and an American expat pursuing the Chinese Dream converge and collide as thousands of dead pigs are found floating down the Huangpu River, towards a modernizing Shanghai.”
The cast is led by Vivian Wu (The Joy Luck Club), Mason Lee (The Hangover Part II), Zazie Beetz (Joker), Haoyu Yang, Meng Li, and David Rysdahl.
When Yan was named Birds of Prey director, many knew she’d be a perfect fit because of the many absurdist aspects she brought to Dead Pigs. You can check that out for yourself in the newly-released trailer below.
