Still Life​ (三峡好人) (Jia Zhang-ke, 2006) is a lyrical and poignant drama set against the backdrop of the massive Three Gorges Dam project in China. The film follows two separate but parallel stories of people searching for their missing spouses in the soon-to-be-flooded Fengjie county. Both characters navigate a surreal and rapidly disappearing landscape, where entire cities are being manually demolished and communities are being forcibly relocated. Their personal journeys of loss and longing are set against the epic transformation of the environment.

Jia Zhang-ke is a globally acclaimed Chinese film director, screenwriter, and producer, widely regarded as one of the most significant auteurs of contemporary cinema. Born in Fenyang, Shanxi Province in 1970, he emerged as a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation​" of Chinese filmmakers, a movement known for its gritty, neorealist style and focus on the individuals marginalized by China's rapid economic and social transformation.

His work is characterized by a deliberate, observational pace, a mix of professional and non-professional actors, and a profound engagement with themes of displacement, memory, and the erosion of cultural identity under modernization.

Major films like the award-winning Still Life (2006), which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, solidified his reputation. Still Life is a poignant elegy for towns and communities submerged by the Three Gorges Dam project, perfectly encapsulating his central preoccupation with the human cost of progress.

Jia Zhang-ke's body of work serves as an essential cinematic archive of China's dramatic change over the last three decades. He is celebrated not only for his artistic mastery but also for his courage in documenting the stories often omitted from official narratives. He continues to be a vital voice in world cinema, operating from his base in Beijing.

Film

Still Life​ 三峡好人 (China)

Directed by

Jia Zhang-ke​ 贾樟柯

Language

Chinese with English subtitles

Starring

Zhao Tao​ 赵涛

Han Sanming​ 韩三明

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