Article 20

Article 20 (Chinese: 第二十条) is a 2024 Chinese comedy drama film directed by Zhang Yimou, and stars Lei Jiayin, Ma Li, Zhao Liying and Gao Ye. The film tells the story of prosecutor Han Ming, who has reached middle age and wanted to seize the last opportunity in his career to work at the Municipal Procuratorate. Unexpectedly, he was involved in a hugely controversial case. At the same time, his family was also facing a similar test.^[2]

Article 20
Theatrical release poster
Traditional Chinese	第二十條
Simplified Chinese	第二十条
Literal meaning	Article 20
Hanyu Pinyin	Dì èr shí tiáo
Directed by	Zhang Yimou
Written by	Li Meng Wang Tianyi
Starring	Lei Jiayin Ma Li Zhao Liying Gao Ye Liu Yaowen
Production companies	Beijing Enlight Pictures Center for Film & Television of the Supreme People's Procuratorate
Distributed by	Beijing Enlight Pictures
Release date	February 10, 2024 (2024-02-10) (China)
Running time	141 minutes
Country	China
Language	Mandarin
Box office	$337.6 million[1]

Article 20 was released in theaters in China on February 10, 2024, in IMAX, CINITY, Dolby Vision and other formats.^[3] It is the year's tenth-highest-grossing film worldwide.

Plot

Since taking a temporary position at the city prosecutor's office, Han Ming has been plagued with one headache after another. His son, Han Yuchen, gets into a fight with the son of the school principal and refuses to apologize. His wife, Li Maojuan, outraged by the situation, takes matters into her own hands and strikes the principal, escalating the conflict even further. At work, Han Ming frequently clashes with his partner, Lu Lingling, causing cases to drag on unresolved. Meanwhile, another case involving Hao Xiuping takes a dire turn, pushing her to the brink of despair. As the battle between emotion and law unfolds, and the struggle to balance career and family intensifies, Han Ming decides to risk everything, determined to uphold fairness and justice in his own way.

Cast

• Lei Jiayin as Han Ming
• Ma Li as Li Maojuan
• Zhao Liying as Hao Xiuping
• Gao Ye as Lu Lingling
• Liu Yaowen as Han Yuchen
• Wang Xiao as Deputy Prosecutor Tian
• Chen Minghao as Li Maoquan
• Pan Binlong as Wang Yongqiang
• Zhang Yi as Zhang
• Fan Wei as Liu Bingren
• Yu Hewei as Prosecutor Wang

Production

Filming

Principal photography began on July 1, 2023, in Langfang.^[4]

Release

On January 12, 2024, the film was officially announced to be released on February 10, 2024 (the first day of the Lunar New Year). At the same time, a scheduled poster was released, revealing the full cast of actors for the first time. The film also released a preview on the same day.^[3]

Reception

Box office

The final box office of the film was 2.454 billion yuan, breaking 9 film history records and ranking 28th on the current box office list of Chinese film history.^[5] The film was the 23rd highest grossing film of 2024.^[6]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
2024	37th Hundred Flowers Awards	Best Picture	Article 20	Nominated	[7]
		Best Director	Zhang Yimou	Won
		Best Writing	Li Meng, Zhang Yimou	Nominated
		Best Actress	Ma Li	Won
		Best Supporting Actress	Zhao Liying	Won
		Best Newcomer	Liu Yaowen	Nominated
	19th Changchun Film Festival - Golden Deer Award	Best Director	Zhang Yimou	Won	[8]
	37th Golden Rooster Awards	Best Picture	Article 20	Won	[9]
		Best Director	Han Yan	Nominated
		Best Actor	Lei Jiayin	Won
		Best Actress	Ma Li	Nominated
		Best Supporting Actress	Zhao Liying	Nominated
		Best Writing	Li Meng, Zhang Yimou	Nominated
		Best Art Direction	Lin Mu	Nominated
		Best Music	Zhao Lin	Nominated
2025	43rd Hong Kong Film Awards	Best Asian Chinese Language Film	Article 20	Nominated	[10]