Jia Zhangke on Jia Zhangke

“Few directors in today’s pantheon of auteurs are as eloquent, revealing, and analytical in talking about their own films as Jia Zhangke. He has a rare ability to convey the core emotions and commitments to honesty and truth that have always driven his filmmaking practice. Throughout, we get a sense of Jia as a whole person who is open to all kinds of artistic, intellectual, and emotional influences as long as they help him show the truths of the world around him. This volume is a treasure trove.” -- Jason McGrath, author of * Postsocialist Modernity: Chinese Cinema, Literature, and Criticism in the Market Age *
“Truly a dream project: one of our most sensitive and dedicated scholars of contemporary Chinese culture and cinema, Michael Berry, in a series of in-depth conversations with one of today’s most essential filmmakers, Jia Zhangke. Jia has always been enormously generous in analyzing and discussing his work, and Berry exhibits a great talent for moving the conversation from the films themselves to larger concerns about a constantly changing China. Essential reading for anyone in the field—and beyond.” -- Richard Peña, Professor of Professional Practice, Film, Columbia University, and Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival
"By capturing Jia’s lively discussion and anecdotes (Berry dutifully tells us when Jia laughs or the audience at a public conversation cheers), he presents a vivid and moving portrait of Jia as fiercely intellectual, literary and introspective, as well as a humorous and inspiring model for film students." -- Jeremy Stone * International Examiner *