August 5 — View the powerful Chinese film, “Still Life”
The Three Gorges Dam in China is perhaps the greatest feat of concrete engineering in human history and the worst environmental disaster in the history of a civilization that has made many. in addition to its grand macro-consequences, the dam affects the intimate lives of individuals … the theme of the critically acclaimed Chinese film, “Still Life.”
When: Tuesday August 5, 6:30 PM
Where: Indianapolis Art Center, corner of 67th and College
Free and open to the public. This is part of IAC’s “Two Worlds, One Language of Art.”
“Still Life” is a 2006 Chinese film directed by Jia Zhangke. Shot in the old village of Fengjie, a small town on the Yangtze River which is slowly being destroyed by the building of the Three Gorges Dam, Still Life tells the story of two people in search of their spouses. It premiered at the 2006 Venice Film Festival and was a surprise winner of the Golden Lion Award for Best Film. Like “The World,” Jia Zhangke’s previous film, “Still Life” was accepted by Chinese authorities and was shown uncensored in both mainland China and abroad. Here’s a scene:
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
This fall there will be many films from other countries that show a different balance of fatalism and desperation than we might expect in American films. That doesn’t mean this is a revelation of a truth about Chinese culture … it is interesting, however. Villages like Fengjie, buried under water and now lost forever, deserve to have their images recorded … even if the town is not grand or historic.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
If you are inclined to get angry about water, watch the movie “FLOW” on August 15. Another movie about bruised people trying to look for love lost is the Italian film “Bread and Tulips,” showing September 16. Yet another example s the Spanish film “Talk to her,” showing October 7.
Know before you go:
Shelly Kraicer’s article, “Chinese Wasteland: Jia Zhangke’s Still Life,” is a great review.
August 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Thanks for the Still Life posting, John. Just watching this clip brought back the overwhelmed feeling I often experienced in China. Linda