Jia Zhangke Releases Collage Film Caught By Tides Spanning Two Decades

Caught by the Tides, directed by Jia Zhangke and releasing in theaters May 9, 2025, is a unique cinematic work that blends footage from the director's earlier films with newly shot scenes to explore themes of displacement, memory, and resilience amid China's rapid social and technological changes. The film follows Qiaoqiao, played by Zhao Tao, and her search for her lost love Bin across multiple decades, against the backdrop of significant events like the Three Gorges Dam construction and the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. It employs a three-part structure, utilizing archival and documentary footage alongside new material to portray the evolving landscape of China, reflecting on the human cost of progress and the alienation caused by technological advancements such as AI. Jia's approach is self-reflexive and innovative, reworking his extensive filmography to create a meditation on time, memory, and social transformation, with a narrative that is accessible even to those unfamiliar with his previous work. The film's elliptical and collage-like style challenges viewers but ultimately offers a rewarding experience that intertwines personal and historical memory through a mix of drama, documentary, and remix. Throughout, Zhao Tao's silent yet expressive performance as Qiaoqiao embodies the film's focus on perseverance and emotional endurance in a volatile, impermanent world.