Renowned Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke is set to be honored at the 55th edition of the Visions du Réel Film Festival in Nyon, Switzerland, scheduled to take place from April 12-21. Recognized for his ability to “humanize China’s modern history – and turn it into poetry,” according to critics, Jia will be the guest of honor during the festival.
Jia, a prominent figure in independent Chinese cinema, will be presenting a masterclass delving into his extensive body of work. The festival will also feature a retrospective of his films throughout its duration. This tribute is made possible through collaboration with the Cinémathèque suisse and ECAL, the university of art and design in Lausanne.
Commenting on the honor, Jia expressed his excitement, stating, “Since the outbreak of COVID-19, I haven’t left China for almost four years. I feel like embracing the world again, as excited as a child about to go on a long trip for the first time. I am heading to Nyon for cinema that reveals the world as it really is.”
Jia, whose filmmaking journey was profoundly influenced by the Tiananmen Square protests, has an extensive filmography that spans over 20 short and feature works, incorporating elements from both genre and non-fiction cinema. His work has earned numerous accolades, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the best director award at the Asian Film Awards for “Still Life” (2006), as well as the best screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival for “A Touch of Sin” (2013). Throughout his career, he has been honored at prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Locarno and Cannes.
Emilie Bujès, artistic director of Visions du Réel, praised Jia’s diverse filmography, noting, “Switching from taught thrillers to documentaries and encompassing a myriad of hybrid formats, woven together by non-professional actors, fictional works on a canvas of reality, and fantasies bypassing otherwise restrained stories, Jia Zhangke has spent two decades creating a filmography as coherent as it is shifting.”
Jia Zhangke, who graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1997, gained recognition with his first full-length feature, “Pickpocket” (1997). Despite facing challenges, including a national broadcast ban, his subsequent works such as “Platform” (2000), “The Condition of Dogs” (2001), and “Unknown Pleasures” (2002) have solidified his position as a distinguished filmmaker. Over the years, Jia expanded his repertoire to non-fiction cinema, exploring various aspects of Chinese society in films like “Useless” (2007), “24 City” (2008), and “Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue” (2020).
