A town in Fengjie county is gradually being demolished and flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. A man and woman visit the town to locate their estranged spouses, and become witness to the societal changes.
Cinematography
Yu Lik-wai turns industrial decay into breathtaking tableaux.
Direction
Jia shoots real demolition, real people, real disappearing.
Acting
Non-professional cast brings unperformable authenticity.
Director
Jia Zhangke
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jia smuggled this film past censors by submitting a fake script; it won the Golden Lion at Venice 2006.
The Three Gorges Dam displaced 1.2 million people—Jia cast actual residents watching their own homes vanish.
No ratings yet
Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.
Discussion starters
CN
