Caught by the Tides

Caught by the Tides is 2024 Chinese drama film directed by Jia Zhangke, and written by Wan Jianhuan and Zhangke, based on footage across 22 years, some from Jia's previous films, in an impressionistic non-linear blend of fiction and non-fiction.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where had its world premiere on 18 May 2024.

Plot
In 2001, in the northeastern Chinese city of Datong, a working class woman named Qiao Qiao has a romantic relationship with her manager Guao Bin as she hustles to make a living as a singer, model, and club girl. Guao Bin leaves Datong to try earning his living in another province, sending Qiao Qiao a text message that says he will bring her when he has money. After a stretch, Qiao Qiao decides to go looking for him, passing though communities which are being displaced by the Three Gorges Dam, as well as Guangdong Province. Meanwhile, Bin tries his hand at a number of businesses, including entering a shady business deal with a corrupt politician. When Qiao Qiao finally finds Bin, she breaks up with him. They eventually re-unite in COVID-era China, after both have notably aged.

Cast

 * Zhao Tao as Qiao Qiao
 * Li Zhubin as Bin
 * Pan Jianlin
 * Zhou Lan
 * Lan Zhou
 * Zhou You
 * Renke

Production
The decision to use previous footage was sparkled by COVID-19 pandemic, which made filming in China difficult. As Jia was revisiting two decades of footage, some which was shot as experimentation with different techniques rather than to capture specific scenes, he realized he could potentially re-use the footage as material for a new film.

As a result, Caught by the Tides is assembled from 22 years of footage, including many of Jia's previous characters and locations. As a result the actors naturally age, including the lead character, Qiao Qiao, who is played by Jia's real life wife, actress Zhao Tao. Part of the film takes place in Fengjie, the same setting as Jia's Golden Lion-winning film Still Life (2006), which also starred Zhao Tao.

Approximately 10 scenes from the film have appeared in Jia's previous films. The final section, set in contemporary China, was shot during the pandemic.

Release
Caught by the Tides was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 18 May 2024.

Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 based on 9 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.