Caught by the Tides
China, 2001: in Datong city, Qiaoqiao tries to make a living as a singer and dancer in a nightclub. She starts a love affair with her manager Guao Bin, but the relationship ends when he moves to another province. By text message, he informs her that she can move in with him as soon as he has made enough money. But she hears nothing more from him. Five years later, she goes looking for him, which takes her to an area where villages and towns have to make way for the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. There is no trace of her former lover at first.
During the corona pandemic, it was very difficult to make a film in China. Therefore, director Jia Zhang-ke used film material from the past 22 years for this love story. Some scenes are from previous films, others are compiled from material not used at the time, while scenes set in the present were made new. Jia's favourite actress (and wife) Tao Zhao, whom we really see aging 20 years in this film, plays the lead role.
