Mar 6 2025

Why is Chinese art being stolen?

46 min 6 movies discussed
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The market for Chinese art used to be very small and is now a billion dollar annual industry. What changed? And how is this all tied to a string of heists? Listen in to find out.

AI Summary

Josh and Chuck dig into a bizarre string of high-profile art heists targeting Chinese antiquities at museums across Europe, from Sweden to Norway to England to France, and explore the tantalizing question of who's really behind them. Along the way they cover China's "century of humiliation," the infamous looting of the Old Summer Palace, the booming Chinese art market, and whether shadowy government connections—or just savvy criminals cashing in on skyrocketing prices—are pulling the strings. It's a fascinating mix of history, international intrigue, and heist-movie-worthy capers.


Movies Discussed

Chinese Zodiac
Chinese Zodiac
2012 PG-13 2h 3m
★ 6.2
"there's a 2012 Jackie Chan movie called CZ12 about this very kind of stuff — Chuck cites this Jackie Chan film as being directly related to the Chinese art heist subject matter discussed in the episode." — Chuck
Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians
2018 PG-13 2h 1m
★ 7.1
"a movie by Crazy Rich Asians director John M. Chu coming out sometime soon — Chuck mentions the director's prior film as a reference point for an upcoming project related to the episode topic." — Chuck
Once Upon a Crime: The Borrelli – Davis Conspiracy
Once Upon a Crime: The Borrelli – Davis Conspiracy
2014 NR 1h 48m
"Listen as I take down my scammer on Once Upon a Con — Podcast/show promo played before the episode content began, not related to the episode topic."
Portrait of a Thief
Portrait of a Thief
2015 1h 30m
★ 8.0
"Netflix is going to have something based on Grace D. Lee's novel Portrait of a Thief — Chuck mentions an upcoming Netflix adaptation relevant to the Chinese art heist theme of the episode." — Chuck
Snatch
Snatch
2000 R 1h 43m
★ 7.8
"a group of travelers, like Brad Pitt and Snatch — Chuck references the movie Snatch to describe a group of Irish travelers connected to the museum heists." — Chuck
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
1976
★ 8.0
"just like Charles Grodin and Miss Piggy — Josh jokes about a heist involving rappelling through a ceiling, comparing it to a Muppets scene with Charles Grodin and Miss Piggy." — Josh

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