The latest from Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke is a wondrous musical journey through time and place
The films by Jia Zhangke I’ve seen tend to be less linear narrative and more a portrait of a time and place. Caught by the Tides follows this pattern; the experimental 2025 work incorporates footage filmed as far back as 2001, slowly weaving a story about a relationship lost to time. Zhao Tao, a regular face from the director’s works (and his wife IRL), stars as Qiaoqiao. Jia’s film blends documentary and drama as Qiaoqiao wanders from a dying mining town in 2001 to an area affected by construction of the Three Gorges Dam in 2006 to end up in the modern city of Zhuhai two years into COVID.
Caught by the Tides revisits past cinematic worlds; the middle section especially offers a feel of déjà vu to anyone who’s seen Jia’s Still Life. I’d forgotten I had, so was surprised when the imagery felt familiar, yet new. In the loose story here, Qiaoqiao is left by her boyfriend Bin (Li Zhubin) when he looks for work elsewhere. In the second section, she’s determined to meet up with him but he won’t return her calls/texts. Intertitles speak for her character, like she’s in a silent film.
There’s something uniquely visual to Caught by the Tides, although the scoring and songs used throughout also contribute to the experience. The electronic scoring from Lim Giong sounds almost ethereal at times. The sound design shows consideration and intention. Fluid editing adds to the momentum of the work, although the filmmaker is not afraid to dwell in certain moments.
The last section – more recently filmed in 2023 – feels more narrative-driven as it pulls pieces of the puzzle together. An aging Bin searches for his place among TikTok influencers and Qiaoqiao makes a new friend. Caught by the Tides depicts the impact of technology and modernization in China, from internet cafes to a town being destroyed for a dam to AI friends to robots. But it’s notable that a scene of community (a small group of women singing to each other) opens the film and a scene of community closes the film. In between, Caught by the Tides mesmerizes and transports the audience.
Caught by the Tides opens at AFS Cinema on Thurs, May 22. Other works in Jia Zhangke’s filmography are currently streaming on the Criterion Channel (including the aforementioned Still Life).
