"Caught by the Tides," directed by Jia Zhang-ke, encapsulates nearly 25 years of China's rapid evolution in less than two hours. Blending fiction with documentary elements, the film features both new scenes and archival footage from Jia's previous works. Its narrative follows Qiaoqiao's search for her lover Bin amidst vast societal shifts marked by technological advancements and urban displacements, particularly around the Three Gorges Dam. Jia's signature exploration of personal experiences set against the backdrop of China's changing landscape allows for deep reflection on time and progress.
The poetry of "Caught by the Tides" comes from a grander arc. In one of the film's opening scenes, shot on grainy digital film, women in a Datong city room laugh together.
Jia's films are often most expressed in their surroundings - in vistas of infrastructure that dwarf his protagonists. There's never been a more moving backdrop from him than the rubble and mass displacement.
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