6.22.2008

still playing: yung chang's up the yangtze

Here's a good Washington Post story on director Yung Chang and his film Up the Yangtze, one of the best documentaries I've seen in the last year: Filmmaker Fathoms One of China's Liquid Assets. I've already expressed quite a bit how much I love this film.

Up the Yangtze, a film about "the convergence of globalization, modernization, Westernization and human cost" is currently on a city-by-city theatrical run across the United States, from distributor Zeitgeist Films... and according to the story, it's apparently doing quite well—a rarity for most documentaries. As good as the film is, this is kind of surprising. I would have guessed that most folks aren't interested in seeing a documentary about a Chinese river. But there you go. People are going, they're selling tickets, and the movie is actually making money.

Now it's your turn, wherever you are, to seek out and watch this movie. It will make you smarter, and it will break your heart. To learn more about Up the Yangtze, including the film's U.S. theatrical release schedule, visit the website here. You can also read my interview with director Yung Chang, posted earlier this month, here.

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