Jia Zhangke�s subtle drama, winner of the Golden Lion in Venice in 2006, shows a China where life is anything but still. Han, a coal miner from Shanxi province, has arrived in the Three Gorges region to look for his estranged wife. Shen, a nurse, is trying to find her husband.
Star rating: ***
Dir: Jia Zhangke
With: Zhao Tao, Han Sanming
Jia Zhangke's subtle drama, winner of the Golden Lion in Venice in 2006, shows a China where life is anything but still. Han, a coal miner from Shanxi province, has arrived in the Three Gorges region to look for his estranged wife. Shen, a nurse, is trying to find her husband.
Their visits to last known addresses show a country where the old is being replaced by new at an alarming rate. Nothing is allowed to stop progress on the mighty dam. Beautifully shot, but the sedate pace, deliberately at odds with the setting and subject, takes a little getting used to.
Filmhouse, March 21-24
