The story is set in the People's Republic of China and consists of nine scenes where national politics and strategy have unforeseen consequences on a young teacher's life.
The idea for the movie is based on a photograph, smuggled out of China, depicting a group of prisoners kneeling, awaiting their execution.
The title paraphrases an old Chinese idiom "Kill the chicken to scare the monkey" (杀鸡儆猴, lit.
kill chicken scare monkey), which refers to making an example out of someone in order to threaten others, in the manner of pour encourager les autres.
Directors' Fortnight Cannes, France May 2011 Nordisk Panorama Århus, Denmark Winner Best Short September 2011 Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares [es] Madrid, Spain Special Jury Mention: AlcineNovember 2011 Vendôme Film Festival Vendome, France Winner December 2011 Prague Short Film Festival 2012 Prague, Czech Republic Special Jury Mention Clermont-Ferrand 2012 Clermont-Ferrand, France Special Jury Mention Minimalen Short Film Festival 2012 Trondheim, Norway Best Film - Nordic Competition Best Fiction - Nordic Competition