Up the Yangtze September 12, 2008

FLICS presents Up the Yangtzee, the first film of its new season.

In China, it is simply known as "The River." But the Yangtze—and the life that surrounds it—is undergoing a truly spectacular transformation wrought by the biggest hydroelectric dam in history, the Three Gorges Project. From the vantage point of a luxury "farewell cruise" that wends its way up the River, we are witness to the dramatic shift: peasant families are forced to relocate their entire lives as floodwaters steadily engulf their villages; young tour-boat employees warily grasp at a more prosperous future; Western tourists catch a final glimpse of a disappearing culture. Returning to the scene of his grandfather's riverbank youth, Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang has crafted a singularly moving and cinematically breathtaking depiction of contemporary China and a disquieting glance into a future that awaits us all.

“A gloriously cinematic documentary of epic, poetic sadness.” Variety

The Three Gorges Dam, the gargantuan and hotly contested symbol of the Chinese economic miracle, provides the epic and unsettling backdrop to this dramatic and disquieting documentary on life inside the 21st century Chinese dream. Stunningly photographed and beautifully composed, the film juxtaposes the sharply observed details of a young woman’s job on a river cruise ship against the ominous forces at work around her. (Yung Chang, 2007, 94 min.)

Admission is $5.

Call (661) 325-4815 for more information.

Official Website: http://www.flics.org