Still Life

Sanxia haoren (Still Life) was shot in the old village of Fengjie, which has since been upset by the building of the Three Gorges Dam. In Jia Zhang-Ke’s film, the old village of Fengjie has already been submerged, but a new district, set to spring up in the surrounding area, is still under construction. Some things are to be saved, whilst others are to be left behind. Han Sanming, a miner, comes to Fengjie in search of his former wife, who he has not seen for 16 years. They meet by the Yangzi river, and decide to remarry. Shen Hong, a nurse, comes to Fengjie to look for her husband, who has not been back home for two years. They embrace before the Three Gorges Dam. Although they do share a dance together, they sadly give up and decide to divorce. Born 1970 in Fenyang, China, Jia Zhang Ke is a Chinese film director. He has been often grouped with other "Sixth Generation" directors such as Wang Xiaoshuai and Lou Ye.Jia first appeared on the Chinese film scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a string of internationally acclaimed independent features including 2000's Platform (Zhantai) , Unknown Pleasures (Ren xiao yao), and The World (Shijie). In 2004 his film, The World (Shijie), was nominated for a Golden Lion award at the 2004 Venice Film Festival. The World was also Jia's first film made with official approval by the Chinese government. This foreshadowed his winning the 2006 Golden Lion award for his film, Still Life (Sanxia haoren). Jia's next film, Tattoo Age (Ciqing shidai) is to be released in 2008. Jia Zhang Ke is also a member of the jury of BigScreen Italia Film Festival 2006, in Kunming, China.