Every month, Time Out Shanghai shows one of the best Chinese films of all time at Glam, M on The Bund, with free popcorn and drinks specials.
Unknown Pleasures
Dir Jia Zhangke, 2002; Comedy/Drama
After the historical panorama of Platform, Jia’s third feature (shot on DV) returns to the scale and style of his directorial debut, The Pickpocket. The pickpocket himself (the inimitable Wang Hongwei) even makes a couple of reappearances here, latterly as a loan shark. But the central characters are Xiao Ji and Binbin, jobless 19-year-olds typical of China’s ‘no future’ generation. Jia’s perspective is essentially spiritual: the film lays bare the tao of modern China, like a doctor taking a pulse.
Glam, M on the Bund. May 14. 4.15pm. Free. To reserve your spot, message 'film' along with your name, mobile number and WeChat ID to our official WeChat account.
Click below for our top 100 Chinese movies