Ang Xu, the youngest theater director ever employed by Beijing's People's Art Theatre, makes his film director debut with 12 Citizens.
When a story breaks out that a young man coming from a rich adopted family murdered his birth father, controversy hits the public's nerve at large. A virtual trial is held at a law school to discuss the case. 12 Chinese people from different walks of life are selected to sit on the jury. Exposed to intricate and thought provoking questions, they start to think more critically about the case.
They become aware of people's bias and emotional-preconceptions about the suspect, each other, and the society. A dialogue goes on between different social classes and lights shed on the common mistakes people make when prejudices and judgments are intertwined. After several rounds of intense debates, they walk out with a unanimous decision, more understandings about humanity and definition of justice.
