The splendid restoration of Suzhou River, which renders the singular respiration of the 16 mm, conveys all the relevance of this landmark film of the new Chinese cinema that erupted at the turn of the millennium and was supported by the filmmakers of the “sixth generation”, embodied by Jia Zhang-ke – a generation thirsty for cinema and skilled in handling the digital tools emerging. Suzhou River embodies all of this fresh momentum, winding through numerous fictional currents in the memory of its young characters and cinema, whilst also brazenly setting its sights on reality using a more documentary approach. This is the second film of Lou Ye, who was 35 years old at the time: what could be better than a youthful film to make a successful film about youth? AR
French Premiere of the restored print
