In 2016, foremost Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke first alluded to making a film out of unused footage that he shot with a DV camera between 1999 and 2000. “I would usually, aimlessly go about shooting footage, Jia said. “This is a habit I still maintain up to this day, and I have a lot of raw footage using different types of cameras and captures throughout the years. I might have a future plan of editing this footage and making it into a film.”
Almost a decade later, Jia finally made that film. And it may be one of the most ambitious, immersive cinematic achievements released in this century.
