2005
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Jia Zhangke (Chinese: 贾樟柯; pinyin: Jiǎ Zhāngkē, born 24 May 1970) is a renowned Chinese-language film and television director, screenwriter, producer, actor and writer.
Zhangke Jia is a leading figure of the "Sixth Generation" of Chinese directors. He has made films such as A Touch of Sin, Mountains May Depart and Ash Is Purest White, and has won many awards and nominations.
- January 1, 1
- 2 min
- Fenyang, Shanxi, China
- Features Writer / List Editor
- Xiao Wu (Pickpocket, 1997) Jia Zhangke exploded onto the film scene with a trilogy of thematically and stylistically connected movies about disaffected youth adjusting to the turn of the century in China.
- Unknown Pleasures (2002) Unknown Pleasures utilizes the same formula of Xiao Wu and expands upon it to make a larger statement about an entire generation of young Chinese.
- Still Life (2003) Around the time he began branching out into the world of documentary, Jia made Still Life, a fiction feature that utilizes techniques and concepts of non-fiction filmmaking to create a hybridized work.
- I Wish I Knew (2010) Considering his interest in modernization, it makes sense that Jia Zhangke would make a documentary on the changing face of Shanghai, and given his preternatural skill as a filmmaker, it also makes sense that it's completely effective.
May 18, 2024 · Across his 25-year career, Jia Zhangke has become the de facto face of independent-minded Chinese cinema — and the Cannes Film Festival has arguably been the most important...
Feb 20, 2023 · The celebrated Chinese filmmaker talks about his latest documentary, "Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue," and his approach to capturing societal changes in China. He discusses his rebellious spirit, his interest in social structures, and his role as a listener of stories.
Apr 19, 2024 · The Chinese indie director talks about his film "Caught by the Tides", which blends 20 years of footage and experiments with AI, at the Swiss doc festival Visions du Réel. He also shares his views on censorship, independent filmmaking and respecting the audience.
With each new film, be it fiction or documentary, Jia Zhangke reasserts his status as one of the keenest chroniclers of China’s unprecedented—and unending—transformation. His latest, Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue, serves as a reminder that he is not alone on his mission.
