Mountains May Depart (Shan He Gu Ren)

Labeled by director Jia Zhangke as his most emotional work, Mountains May Depart leads the viewer on a sentimental yet provocative journey through the first quarter of the 21st century as a former trio of friends navigate the complexities of a changing China. Replete with symbolism and ambiguity, the film early on shows us the breakup of Tao, Liangzi, and Zhang Jinsheng when Tao chooses one man over another as her husband. From there, the narrative branches out in different directions as each character embarks on separate life paths (one immediately, two later on). The storyline’s trajectory is underscored by several significant visits to a river as well as dances by Tao to a catchy 90s pop song. Throughout the film, we see how these characters’ lives are illustrative of greater social, political and cultural forces as they each come to represent a different face of China. Mountains May Depart takes a compelling look at the ramifications of frenzied modernization for a dynamic society that can still recall all too well the turbulence of the 20th century.

This program runs like a book club: you watch the selected film at your leisure, then join other participants on Zoom at 7pm on about the fourth Monday of each month to discuss. These online sessions will consist of a 20-25 minute period where several general questions about the film are discussed, followed by a 7-8 minute breakout session into smaller groups. Most movies are available free on Kanopy.com or YouTube. Kanopy can be accessed through a web browser or an internet-connected t.v. A Kanopy login account requires a library card. Please watch the movie and then join us to discuss.

The Northwest China Council's Movie Night is a program to promote better understanding of Chinese history, culture, and current affairs. Please consider supporting its programming at www.nwchina.org.