The Chinese film industry is witnessing the rise of a young and ambitious talent, director Bi Gan. With the film "Resurrection", this filmmaker born in 1989 not only conquered the critics but also brought home the prestigious Prix Spécial award at the Cannes Film Festival, marking an important milestone in his own journey of cinematic renaissance.
The desire to revive cinema through "Resurrection"
"Resurrection" is not just a film, it is an artistic manifesto, a bold attempt by Bi Gan to redefine the language of cinema and explore new limits of the seventh art. From a script that at first glance seems non-linear, Bi Gan leads the audience into a dreamy adventure, where the boundaries between reality and fantasy, between past and future become blurred. His unique filmmaking style, with slow, long, elaborately staged scenes, has helped him become a prominent name in the Chinese cinema industry.
Featuring a talented cast including Jackson Yee, Shu Qi and Lee Geng Xi, "The Wild Times" tells the story of a woman (Shu Qi) who gets stuck in an "eternal time zone" after surgery. Waking up in the year 2068, she finds herself the sole survivor in a devastated world.
Bi Gan's Resurrection was announced as a contender for the Palme d'Or at the last minute.
Throughout her dreams, she finds a half-human, half-robot corpse (played by Jackson Yee) and attempts to awaken it with stories of Chinese history. As the robot slowly awakens, the heroine is forced to choose between returning to reality or staying with the creature she has grown to love.
The production of "Resurrection" is a testament to Bi Gan's perseverance and vision. Initiated in 2021, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the project took two years of pre-production before starting filming in 2023. The film was made in three phases, with locations spanning from Chongqing (China) to Copenhagen (Denmark). Notably, to create valuable footage, Bi Gan and the crew spent half a month just to shoot a 40-minute long-take scene with the state-of-the-art DJI Ronin 4D camera, demonstrating meticulous investment and a desire to bring a different cinematic experience.
Many reviewers found the film difficult to watch as it explored the themes of memory and dreams, questioning cinema's ability to preserve memories while also being a reflection on humanity.
The fact that "Resurrection" finished filming in April 2025, just over a month before it was announced to compete for the Palme d'Or, created a great deal of time pressure. The rush to complete post-production and apply for a permit to participate in the Cannes Film Festival in such a short period of time was both a great challenge and a memorable mark in Bi Gan's artistic life.
The participation of "Resurrection" in the main competition category of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the only Chinese work at Cannes this year, has attracted special attention. When it premiered, the film received a standing ovation that lasted nearly 7 minutes, proving its appeal and artistic value. Although the edit was so rushed that it did not have time to be released in a private screening with the press and distributors beforehand, "Resurrection" still generated extremely positive reactions from critics.
According to Variety, the film contributes to affirming Bi Gan's strength in Chinese cinema.
The Guardian, a prestigious newspaper, rated 4/5 stars and called "Resurrection" "a true work of art", although the film's plot remains a lingering mystery. Meanwhile, The New York Times voted the film third in its list of the best Cannes films of the year, noting: "Bi Gan is one of cinema's most magical filmmakers, with slow, sweeping tracking shots so intricately choreographed that they seem like magic tricks you can live inside."
The film is also proof that Bi Gan is considered a talented director of Chinese cinema with a unique and artistic filmmaking style.
The paper also described "Resurrection" as a "love letter to cinema, celebrating 130 years of the seventh art's history," with a subtle blend of Blade Runner and Holy Motors, along with homages to the Lumière brothers, FW Murnau and Georges Méliès.
The success of "Resurrection" at Cannes is the first victory in 10 years for Chinese cinema at this prestigious film festival, since "The Assassin" by director Hou Hsiao-Hsien in 2015. This not only strengthens Bi Gan's position but also adds hope for the strong development of Chinese cinema in the international arena.
