Everything that distinguished director Zhang Yimou’s famed opening ceremony for the 2008 Olympics feels either lacking or missing altogether here.
Ryan Swen
Ryan Swen is a freelance film critic and a cinema and media studies MA candidate at the University of Southern California. He co-hosts the podcast Catalyst and Witness and is a staff writer at Seattle Screen Scene.
Posted inFilm
A Mesmerizing Film Follows Two Men in Desperate Need of Connection
Taiwanese slow cinema luminary Tsai Ming-liang’s new film Days draws heartbreak and humanity out of activities as mundane as cooking and acupuncture.
Posted inFilm
The Underrated Nonfiction Films of Jia Zhangke
While the Chinese director has won acclaim for movies like A Touch of Sin and Ash Is Purest White, his documentaries are an equally vital part of his oeuvre.
Posted inFilm
The Wistful, Lyrical, Romantic World of Wong Kar-wai
Film at Lincoln Center’s complete retrospective of Wong’s filmography offers the chance to see some of his lesser-known films.
Posted inFilm
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Cinematic Visions of Youth and Optimism
The prolific and innovative Japanese director passed away earlier this year. Now, JAPAN CUTS is celebrating him with a series of conversations and his final film.
Posted inArt
This Self-Described “Chinese Peasant” Has Become the Twitter God of Drinking
Liu Shichao, better known as Pangzai, has become a social media sensation with his oddly compelling videos of his everyday life.
Posted inFilm
An Innovative YouTube Series Visualizes Sports Data in a Mesmerizing Manner
SB Nation’s Jon Bois brings a singular style to his video storytelling.