Through the Director's Lens

Filmmaker JIA ZHANGKE and his protégé RAFAEL MANUEL share their perspectives on life, cinema and their current projects.

- KEN HUANG

This is a rare joint interview given by filmmakers Jia Zhangke and Rafael Manuel since they paired up for two years through the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative 20232024 cycle.

The 54-year-old Jia and 30-something Manuel spoke about Jia's recent work Caught by the Tides (2024), which was selected to compete for the prestigious Palme d'Or award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, as well as Manuel's upcoming film Filipiñana, due for release in 2026. Both films were conceived during the mentorship programme. Thanks to the transnational and intergenerational nature of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, the partnership has sparked a fascinating exchange of ideas between two creators from vastly different walks of life and eras.

CAUGHT BY THE TIDES

Filmmaking is an art form that expresses the interplay between light and shadow. Cinema is life, and it also captures the secrets of time. Jia's Caught by the Tides draws inspiration from the term feng liu yi dai (or "the romantic generation" in English), which emerged in China in the late 1970s.

The film explores the transition and growth of the younger generation during the early reform era in China in the 1980s and 1990s. Jia explores the desires and struggles of this generation as they strive to break away from tradition and the past, while also questioning the steadfastness of their revolutionary spirit. The film follows an ordinary couple from a small northern Chinese town, charting their separations and reconciliations over the decades. It's a journey that resonates deeply with many of their generation.

Footage of Caught by the Tides was taken from 2001 to 2022, and as a whole, the film served to document the times. The characters grew from their 20s to middle age, with their milieu changing along with their appearances and physical states. Gradually, the audience is led to a present that appears orderly yet is also somewhat chaotic.