Jia Zhangke has long been one of the most celebrated directors to emerge from China, and while his latest film "Mountains May Depart" didn’t quite land the impact you might’ve expected at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, any work from the auteur is worth a look. The film is gearing up to hit cinemas stateside, and a new U.S. trailer has arrived.
Starring Dong Zijian, Liang Jingdong, Sylvia Chang, Zhang Yi, and Zhao Tao, the movie splits across three timelines —1999, 2014, and 2015— to tell the story of a young couple and their child, and how their relationships and circumstances change over the years. Here’s the official synopsis:
China, 1999. In Fenyang, childhood friends Liangzi, a coal miner, and Zhang, the owner of a gas station, are both in love with Tao, the town beauty. Tao eventually marries the wealthier Zhang and they have a son he names Dollar.
2014. Tao is divorced and her son emigrates to Australia with his business magnate father.
Australia, 2025. 19-year-old Dollar no longer speaks Chinese and can barely communicate with his now bankrupt father. All that he remembers of his mother is her name.
"Mountains May Depart" opens in limited release on February 12, 2016. Read our review and watch below.