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A visually stunning and thought-provoking work that took nearly seven years to make, Chinese visual artist Yang Fudong’s magnum opus An Estranged Paradise offers a nuanced perspective on contemporary Chinese society and its relationship with tradition and modernity.

In the film, Zhuzi, a young intellectual, lives a comfortable life in Hangzhou with his fiancée Lingshan. At the start of the picturesque city’s summer rain season, Zhuzi complains of a general malaise and, worried, tries to determine its origin. Using black-and-white cinematography and slow-paced, contemplative scenes, Yang Fudong creates a haunting atmosphere that reflects the existential angst of the characters.

Ages 15+ | Contains adult themes