Fallen City

In May 2008 a devastating earthquake hit China, killing over 20,000 people. This powerful documentary spans the three years between the total destruction of the city of Beichuan and the building of a new one. It focuses on three families, all of whom lost relatives. As we follow their struggles to move onwards, the film artfully juggles many elements. We see beautifully elegiac footage of the devastated city, to which survivors are sometimes permitted to return to honor the dead. There is disturbing footage of the quake itself. We see the survivors as they share their thoughts and pain and ponder what sort of future they may have. Finally, we see the government’s response: the building of the new Beichuan, the organization of this new city, and the slow and controlled effort to resettle a huge displaced population. By using this intimate approach to a tragedy of such monumental scope, FALLEN CITY never allows the human element to be overlooked. It is not just a document of loss, but one of courage and hope. (In Mandarin and Sichuan with subtitles) – C.R.