Ten years after his last documentary, “I Wish I Knew” (screened in Un Certain Regard, Cannes 2011), acclaimed Chinese auteur Jia Zhang-Ke (“Ash Is Purest White,” “A Touch of Sin“) returns to non-fiction with “Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue,” the final panel in his trilogy about the arts in China. It follows Venice winners “Dong” (2006) and “Useless” (2007).

Continue reading ‘Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue’ Trailer: Chinese Auteur Jia Zhang-Ke’s Critically-Acclaimed New Doc Arrives In May at The Playlist.

With the only major US film festival to happen in 2020 being Sundance, it’s not hyperbolic to say that the New York Film Festival is poised to be one of the biggest events in American film this year. It’s kinda that way by default. That being said, with the announcement of the entire list of films that will screen at the NYC event, it’s clear that the New York Film Festival is doing its best in this uncertain time to provide a quality experience for those willing to show up.

Continue reading NYFF 2020 Full Lineup Revealed: Films From Steve McQueen, Chloe Zhao, Jia Zhangke & More at The Playlist.

During the height of China’s Cultural Revolution, circa 1972, a man named Zhu Qiansheng was given an assignment. He was informed that a famous, European film director, Michelangelo Antonioni, would be making a film about his home country. Having supposedly been invited by the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China, himself, Zhu was instructed to make sure the filmmaker had whatever he needed. After only two days of shooting, Zhu started growing increasingly concerned by the content Antonioni seemed attracted to.

Continue reading ‘I Wish I Knew:’ Jia Zhangke’s Doc Is A Bold Look At Shanghai’s History By One Of Cinema’s Great Masters [Review] at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Clip From Jia Zhangke's 'Mountains May Depart' Visits The Past

Continue reading Exclusive: Clip From Jia Zhangke’s ‘Mountains May Depart’ Visits The Past at The Playlist.

Review: Jia Zhangke's Ambitious 'Mountains May Depart'

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Watch: Go West With The New Trailer For Jia Zhangke's 'Mountains May Depart'

Continue reading Watch: Go West With The New Trailer For Jia Zhangke’s ‘Mountains May Depart’ at The Playlist.

Cannes Review: Jia Zhangke's 'Mountains May Depart' Is A Decades-Spanning Look At The Changing Face Of China

Continue reading Cannes Review: Jia Zhangke’s ‘Mountains May Depart’ Is A Decades-Spanning Look At The Changing Face Of China at The Playlist.

Before we start, and to be fair, despite the stature Jia holds in certain critical quarters, including some of our own staff, the Playlist generally isn’t that big on the director and for a brief moment while watching the film, we wondered if our reaction wasn’t just the result of our general feeling on the director and being generally tired and cranky after a long flight.

Continue reading Cannes 2010 Review: Jia Zhang-ke’s ‘I Wish I Knew’ at The Playlist.

Filling out the last two slots of the In Competition lineup are “Chongqing Blues,” by Chinese director Wang Xiaoshuaï, which has been upgraded from its previous slot in the Un Certain Regard programming, and “Tender Son – The Frankenstein Project” by Hungarian director Kornél Mundruczo.

Continue reading Cannes 2010 Lineup Now Complete (Sorry, No Malick Or Tarr); Alexandre Desplat Joins The Jury at The Playlist.

Continue reading More Anticipated 2010: The 15 Most Anticipated Arthouse Films at The Playlist.

A pseudo-documentary/ fictional version of cinéma-vérité, the film centers on three generations of characters in the Chinese city of Chengdu and mixing a blend of fiction and fact, the film features five authentic interviews (some retired workers) and four invented stories all about people that worked amongst and around a state-owned factory that eventually gave way to a modern apartment complex.

Continue reading NYFF Review: Jia Zhangke’s ’24 City’ at The Playlist.