Blending fiction and documentary, Jia Zhang-ke puts a human face on the consequences of rapid industrial and economic growth in China. Shot in Chengdu, in the Sichuan province, the film documents the development of state-owned Factory 420 from the 1950s to the present. Once booming, it was demolished in 2007 to make room for an upscale apartment complex. Grounded by interviews from former factory workers and three of the country’s most important actors (Joan Chen, Lu Liping, Zhao Tao), the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, just four days after a massive earthquake devastated parts of Chengdu. 2008, 35mm, in Mandarin with English subtitles, 112 minutes.
