Synopsis

The legendary Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni was fascinated with China. In 1972, he overcame numerous obstacles to travel to the mainland through diplomatic channels to shoot this three-and-a-half hour documentary in Beijing, Henan, Jiangsu, and Shanghai. His visit occurred during the Cultural Revolution, and the film triggered a large-scale, year-long criticism campaign initiated by the Gang of Four after its broadcast. Today, we understand that this work documents everyday life during a tumultuous time from a rational perspective. Although forty years have passed, that era remains a subject of ambivalence.