By Jin Yingying
On May 24, Resurrection, directed by Bi Gan and produced by Huace Group, received the Special Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival--marking the first time in a decade that a Chinese-language film has received recognition in Cannes’ Main Competition. The last such honor was in 2015.
Resurrection enfolds a poetic, sensory-driven story through six chapters--each linked to human senses like sight, sound, and touch. In a world where people no longer dream, a “monster” becomes trapped in hallucinations, while a woman, able to see the illusions, ventures into his dreamscape. The film stars Shu Qi and Jackson Yee, who impressively take on five different roles, enhancing the film’s allure.
Juliette Binoche, the jury president, praised Resurrection as “extraordinary and poetic”. French critics called it “remarkable”, and Screen Daily described it as “unforgettable and exhilarating”.
Meanwhile, director Gu Xiaogang (Gu You)’s new film, First Taste of Loneliness, began filming in Hangzhou this May, with a 2026 global release planned. Featuring Zhou Xun and Xi Meijuan, it continues Gu’s acclaimed “Landscape Trilogy” after Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. The project is co-produced by French companies Les Films du Losange and Tandem Films, signaling strong international collaboration. Legendary cinematographer Ryuto Kondō, renowned for his long-term collaboration with Hirokazu Kore-eda, is behind the camera.
Together, Resurrection and First Taste of Loneliness underscore the global rise of Hangzhou-made films, offering fresh visions of Chinese storytelling to the world.