In this blog post, we compare Jia Zhangke’s documentary ‘Dong’ and his feature film ‘Still Life’ to examine how these two works blur the lines between documentary and fiction. Film Introduction ‘Dong’ is a documentary by director Jia Zhangke that follows the creative process of Chinese contemporary painter Liu Xiaodong. Set against the backdrop of demolition work at the Three Gorges Dam...
Is Jia Zhangke’s ‘Xiao Wu’ a feature film or a documentary?
In this blog post, I will examine how documentary elements and feature film formats intersect, using director Jia Zhangke’s film ‘Xiao Wu’ as a case study. Film Overview and Synopsis The film ‘Xiao Wu’ follows the protagonist, Xiao Wu, a pickpocket, as he scrapes by in the city. While the police proclaim a “war on crime” and emphasize law-abiding behavior, this...
What Legacy Did the Film ‘Summer Palace’ Leave Behind?
In this blog post, I will summarize the plot, historical context, documentary elements, and the impact of the film ‘Summer Palace.’ 20 years old. The passionate love and carefree wanderings of youth Yu Hong, the protagonist of “Summer Palace,” is a young man who moved to Beijing from a small provincial city to attend university. He quickly falls in love with Zhou Wei, whom he meets at...