The new film from Jia Zhang-ke, the pre-eminent Chinese filmmaker of his generation, is a richly detailed, largely admiring portrait of the history, architecture and cinematic heritage of Shanghai.
Jia is in such command, virtually every image is magnetic, bursting with striking details or simply beautiful.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2010
I Wish I Knew 2010
Shanghai chuanqi
The new film from Jia Zhang-ke, the pre-eminent Chinese filmmaker of his generation, is a richly detailed, largely admiring portrait of the history, architecture and cinematic heritage of Shanghai.
“Treasurable images from Chinese cinema and moving personal histories from the people of Shanghai lend potent human and aesthetic dimensions to Jia Zhang-ke’s lengthy survey of the city’s eventful past and ever-changing present… The emotion expressed by some of the 18 individuals featured here is universal enough to lend I Wish I Knew a human interest and impact not always as immediately available in Jia’s other work… As the interviews progress, a portrait emerges of Shanghai as a seat of significant political, criminal and artistic activity… The city’s grandeur is ably conveyed in the film’s pristine images of the sprawling metropolis, which often looks awe-inspiring but never exactly picturesque. Throughout, Jia’s shot choices – focusing especially on slums and construction zones – implicitly question the human toll exacted by such splendor.” — Justin Chang, Variety