U.S. Trailer for Bi Gan's Resurrection Showcases a Remarkably Ambitious Cinematic Achievement

      There’s no film you will encounter this year, or even for the next ten years, quite like Bi Gan’s Resurrection, where the director continues his exploration after Kaili Blues and Long Day’s Journey Into Night with an incredibly ambitious anthology featuring the talented Shu Qi. With a release set for December 12 from Janus Films, the full trailer has just been unveiled.

      As Zhuo-Ning Su noted in our Cannes review, “With this collage-like structure, Bi Gan clearly breaks away from the narrative formats of both Kaili Blues and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. One might contend that this shift dilutes the impact of a continuous storyline, but what he aims to achieve here transcends the creation of a singular dreamscape; he also delves into the philosophical and existential themes of dreams while treating the past century of cinema as its record. Across the film’s five segments (including the prologue and epilogue), Bi presents five unique cinematic styles that affirm that the silver screen has always served as an escape from reality; and that, as both creators and audiences of films, we play a role in sustaining the act of dreaming for our increasingly unimaginative society.”

      Here is the official synopsis: “In a realm where humanity has lost its capacity to dream, one creature remains captivated by the dwindling illusions of the dreamworld. This being, lost in its fantasies, grasps onto visions invisible to others—until a woman arrives. Endowed with the unique ability to recognize these illusions for what they are, she makes the choice to enter the monster’s dreams, eager to uncover the truth concealed within.”

      “Cinema will not cease to exist,” Bi Gan shared with us at the Busan International Film Festival. “This film is not merely about an ‘era of cinema’ but rather how audiences reflect on their memories of film. After all, painting didn’t vanish. Art does not end. There still remains a purpose for it.”

      Watch the new trailer below: