Sanxiá haorén (Still Life) is a 2006 Chinese film directed by Jia Zhangke. The film was shot in the old village of Fengjie , a small town which is being destroyed by the building of the Three Georges Dam.
The plot is simple. A coal miner comes to the town in search of his wife, whom he hasn't seen for 16 years. Similarly a woman arrives there in search of her husband whom she hasn't seen in 3 years. They both have come from Shanxi. The man comes to know that his former wife is now in Yichang with his teenage daughter. The woman discovers that her husband has become a rich businessman in Fengjie. She also finds out that her husband is having an affair with his investor. When she finally meets him ,she tells him to divorce her. Still Life tells the story of two people in search of their spouses.
There are much more to this film. Almost one million people have been dislocated because of the construction of the dam. This method has been heavily criticized by human rights groups. The project's effect on ordinary Chinese is the focus of Still Life. The stories are told in Jia's minimalist style. The human stories, set against the background of the Three Gorges Dam , are fleeting, lovely. The journey of the characters is both physical and emotional. Their journey is also a journey into consciousness, loss and the past. We follow the characters at the same time as they make journey into the town. The connection between the characters and the landscape is clear.
The sense of loss in the characters' lives is linked to the Three Gorges, to that which is already lost. The film is a poetic reflection on time. It is full of humanity and compassion. As for his films, Jia says: "We all know there is major change going on in China and I wanted to get more people to know what's happening. I will continue to make films along these lines and explore the problems of the weaker social classes".
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