Killing the Chickens, to Scare the Monkeys

Killing the Chickens, to Scare the Monkeys is a 2011 short film directed by Jens Assur. 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 first scene of the movie is a 15-minute single take, without cuts.

The movie was shot in Sweden and Thailand and it was Assur's second short as a director and writer.

Background
The idea for the movie is based on a photograph, smuggled out of China, depicting a group of prisoners kneeling, awaiting their execution. Around the group, people can be seen chatting and even laughing.

Title
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. The movie implies that the Chinese government policy of executing dissidents is meant to deter others.

Festivals and awards
Directors' Fortnight Cannes, France May 2011

Nordisk Panorama Århus, Denmark

Winner Best Short

September 2011

Festival de Cine de Alcalá de Henares Madrid, Spain

Special Jury Mention: Alcine November 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