Premiering at Cannes earlier this year, Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke‘s “Caught by the Tides” is another entry in the filmmaker’s indie career that serves to mystify viewers as much as it seeks out answers to the questions it asks. Utilizing documentary footage Zhangke has collected throughout his career, as well as characters he’s explored in previous films, “Caught by the Tides” capitalizes on the themes of time and memory the writer/director has been exploring since his 2006 Golden Lion-winning drama “Still Life.” As reported on by Variety, speaking at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea, Zhangke shared that he plans to continue studying these concepts and finding ways to incorporate them on screen, both in a historical context and a futuristic sense.
“I have so much interest in the current China that I’m sure to make other films on the subject,” said Zhangke of planning his next projects. “But my next one might be a historical one. And I’m studying up on technology in order to do a film about AI”
Zhangke has already shown his interest in the subject as in “Tides,” the character Qiao Qiao is seen interacting with a robot in one section of the film. His interest in technology is one that captures all sides, both its benefits and what it takes away from us. For instance, in a scene that begins the movie, a group of women sing to celebrate Women’s Day. Zhangke was able to capture this footage in the moment and record them live, but says that would never happen in today’s world.
“People speak less that they did in 2000. Women then were able to sing together,” he said. “Now they cannot do that. Those days were a more passionate and enthusiastic time. Nowadays we only communicate through the internet.”
Starring in “Tides” is Zhangke’s own wife, Zhao Tao, who shared that spending time with the filmmaker, both working together and building a life, has given her a new perspective on the world and those who inhabit it. With “Tides” especially, she feels she’s gotten a chance to reveal a character not many think about in an incredibly dynamic way.
“When I started acting, I cared little about people beyond my own immediate family. Jia, however, is fascinated by other people,” said Tao. “And through him I have learned that, no matter what their backgrounds, these are the people we should love. This film [“Tides”] is a precious gift. I was able to depict the lives of Chinese women through their twenties, thirties, and forties.”
“Caught by the Tides” has been acquired for distribution by Sideshow and Janus Films, but no release date has been set.
