In China They Eat Dogs (1999) Plot Summary Explained

Franz robbed the bank to pay for medical treatments so he and his wife Astrid could have a child. This reveals his crime was driven by desperate personal need rather than pure greed, which complicates the moral landscape of the film.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Arvid's girlfriend criticizes him for being dull and unexciting, establishing that desperation for change can drive extreme actions.

• franz
• bank robbery
• medical treatment
• child
• astrid

After learning about Franz's desperate motive for the robbery, Arvid feels guilty and reaches out to his estranged brother Harald, whom he hasn't spoken to in years since their father disowned Harald for his criminal ties. Together, they plan a more ambitious theft to help Astrid.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows Arvid is worn down by his dull life and seeking excitement, making him vulnerable to criminal involvement.

• arvid
• harald
• brother
• estranged
• guilt
• heist plan

During the jailbreak, Franz reveals that Astrid is actually his sister, not his wife, and that she had conned him. This revelation enrages Harald, who kills Franz in a burst of rage. Astrid then uses the chaos to flee to South Africa.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Astrid tracks down Arvid to ask for help, showing her manipulative nature and establishing her as untrustworthy.

• harald
• franz
• kill
• sister
• astrid
• reveal

After trying to distance himself from Harald's criminal world, Hanna returns to Arvid's apartment demanding the rest of their shared possessions. At his breaking point from the cumulative trauma, Arvid kills her, severing his final tie to his former life.

Foreshadowing: Hanna previously dumped Arvid after the bank incident and refused to believe his story, establishing the fractured state of their relationship.

• arvid
• hanna
• kill
• breaking point
• apartment

Onkel is the head of a local Serbian cartel. He retaliates against Arvid and Harald for the death of his nephew, which occurred during the earlier heist and jailbreak sequence. The brothers are ambushed during their final bank robbery attempt.

Foreshadowing: The earlier van robbery involved extreme violence from Harald's crew, which naturally attracts dangerous enemies.

• onkel
• serbian cartel
• nephew
• ambush
• revenge

In the afterlife, the angel Richard explains that Arvid is allowed into Heaven due to a clerical error. While Arvid committed murder and participated in crimes, Richard mistakenly sends other victims of the shootout, including the barfly Jørgen, Arvid's co-worker Finn, and his 'girlfriend' Olga, to Hell instead.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes early on that Arvid is essentially a passive character pulled into crime, setting up the ironic moral ambiguity of his fate.

• heaven
• hell
• angel
• richard
• clerical error
• afterlife

After Harald kills Franz during the jailbreak chaos, Astrid takes advantage of the violent confusion to flee to South Africa. She is trying to escape Harald's wrath and the dangerous criminal world she has become entangled in. The brothers later plan to rob the bank to fund pursuing her there.

Foreshadowing: Astrid's manipulative nature was established when she conned her own 'husband' Franz and then manipulated Arvid into helping her.

• astrid
• south africa
• escape
• flee
• harald

Franz reveals during the jailbreak that Astrid is actually his sister, not his wife. She had been avoiding him after conning him out of money. Their entire relationship was built on manipulation rather than romance.

Foreshadowing: Astrid manipulates both Arvid and Franz throughout the film, establishing her as a deceptive character.

• astrid
• franz
• sister
• brother
• relationship
• conning

Despite his dull life, Arvid unexpectedly steps in and helps stop the bank robbery, showing rare bravery. This event shatters his routine and thrusts him into a dramatically altered reality, setting all subsequent events in motion.

Foreshadowing: Arvid's dissatisfaction with his monotonous life was established at the start, showing his latent desire for excitement.

• arvid
• bank robbery
• brave
• stop crime
• h heroism

After previously dumping Arvid and taking most of their shared possessions, Hanna returns to Arvid's apartment to claim the rest of their belongings. This confrontation contributes to Arvid's psychological breakdown.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Hanna refused to believe Arvid's account of the bank incident and dumped him, establishing her dismissive attitude toward him.

• hanna
• apartment
• belongings
• return
• confrontation

After the successful van robbery, Arvid is sickened by the extreme violence that Harald and his crew used to complete the job. This marks the beginning of Arvid's moral revulsion toward the criminal world, even as he continues deeper into it.

Foreshadowing: The earlier robbery setup showed Harald as a dangerous criminal figure, foreshadowing the violent tactics Arvid would witness.

• arvid
• harald
• van robbery
• violence
• sick
• moral revulsion

Richard is an angel who has been relaying Arvid's misadventures to a demonic bartender throughout the film. In limbo after Arvid's death, Richard explains the afterlife verdict and reveals the clerical error that determines who goes to Heaven versus Hell.

Foreshadowing: The surreal framing device with the angel and demon is established early as a narrative device for the film's dark comedy elements.

• richard
• angel
• demon
• bartender
• afterlife
• limbo