The screening on 23 April will be introduced by Tony Rayns,  whose long-standing support of Jia Zhangke, from festival exposure to sustained critical advocacy and English subtitling, played a crucial role in bringing Jia’s work to international attention.

Caught by the Tides, a mix of fiction and documentary, is an enduring but fragile love story shared by Qiaoqiao (starring Jia Zhangke’s capturing muse Zhao Tao) and Bin, set in China, from the early 2000s to the present day.

Caught up in each other, Qiaoqiao and Bin enjoyed all that the city had to offer, singing and dancing. Until one day, Bin finds himself wanting to try his luck in a bigger place than Datong. He left without any notice. Sometime later, Qiaoqiao decides to go on a journey to look for him.

Traversing all of his past films, Jia Zhangke delivers an epic look at the romantic destiny of his perennial heroine, Qiaoqiao. Spanning 23 years of a country going through profound transformation, the film gives a new perspective to look into the contemporary China as well as the individual experiences under the turbulent emotional and social changes.

Cast:
Zhao Tao, Li Zhubin, Zhou You