Mountains May Depart
Producer
Zhangke Jia
China, 1999. In Fenyang, childhood friends Liangzi, a coal miner, and Zhang, the owner of a gas station, are both in love with Tao, the town beauty. Tao eventually marries the wealthier Zhang and they have a son he names Dollar.
2014. Tao is divorced and her son emigrates to Australia with his business magnate father.
Australia, 2025. 19-year-old Dollar no longer speaks Chinese and can barely communicate with his now bankrupt father. All that he remembers of his mother is her name.
Zhangke Jia
Film director, producer and writer. Born in 1970 in China. Attended Beijing Film Academy. In 1998, made his first feature film PICKPOCKET, which won the Wolfgang Prize and NETPAC Award in 48th Berlin IFF. Jia capitalized on his success with three internationally acclaimed features: PLATFORM (2000, Venice competition), UNKNOWN PLEASURES (2002, Cannes competition) and THE WORLD (2004, Venice competition). In 2006, his work STILL LIFE won The Golden Lion Award at the 63rd Venice IFF. In 2010, Jia Zhangke was awarded the Leopard of Honor of the 63rd Locarno IFF, the youngest filmmaker ever to receive this honor. Won the best screenplay prize at Cannes-2013 for A TOUCH OF SIN.
Selected filmography
2015 Mountains May Depart
2013 A Touch of Sin
2008 24 City
2006 Still Life