*The film will be divided into 4 parts with 3 intermissions; beverages will be for sale in the atrium. Please refer to the estimated schedule below for how this screening will be conducted. Please note that this screening will have premium pricing.

Director: Wang Bing
Runtime: 551 mins
Country: China
Language: Mandarin with English subtitles
Rating: R21

Awards

Grand Prix
Festival International de Cinéma de Marseille (FIDMarseille) 2003

Golden Montgolfiere
Nantes Three Continents Festival 2003

Robert and Frances Flaherty Prize
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival

Synopsis

The film documents daily life in Tie Xi District, one of China’s most important heavy-industrial complexes. Built by the Japanese Imperial Army in 1934, Tie Xi was nationalised in 1949 and expanded during the industrial projects initiated with Soviet assistance in the 1950s. However, as factories began to close in 1999, residents were forced to evacuate.

Wang Bing’s direct-cinema approach to documenting the mundane of blue-collar workers and the closure of the factories serves as a microcosm of China’s political, economic, and social history over decades. The workers’ experience is translated into the film’s prolonged long takes, allowing audiences to feel the repetitive boredom and monotony of factory life. West of the Tracks establishes a filmmaking language that would define Wang’s subsequent work: the camera’s presence gradually dissolves, while the long takes reshape the audience’s experience of time and space.

Estimated Screening Schedule

1045 am: Doors open
1100 am: Intro + trailer, Part 1 (A)
0115 pm: Intermission break (10mins)
0125 pm: Part 1 (B)
0330 pm: Lunch break (60 mins)
0430 pm: Part 2
0730 pm: Dinner break (30mins)
0800 pm: Part 3
1015 pm: Film Ends

Estimated runtime for each part:
Part 1 (A) – 2hrs
Part 1 (B) – 2hrs
Part 2 – 3hrs
Part 3 – 2hrs

This screening is part of the programme Past Time. For more screenings, please click here.

Friends of AFA members, please read the membership guide on how to purchase your discounted tickets and redeem your complimentary tickets.

Oldham Theatre’s opening hours

For further assistance, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre operates on a free seating arrangement. Doors will open 10 minutes before showtime so arrive early to choose a seat and avoid disrupting the screenings as AFA does not play ads and screenings will start promptly.

All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

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T&Cs

No food and drink is allowed in the hall. Recording of the films is strictly prohibited. If you are found to be violating any of the rules and disturbing other members of the audience, AFA reserves the right to ask you to leave the theatre hall.

Concession tickets apply to Students (Local & Overseas), Full-time National Servicemen (NSF), Senior Citizens (55 years and above) only.

Please check film ratings before purchase of tickets. Please note that you may be asked to present your ID at the door (this applies to concession tickets as well). Only physical photographic identification is allowed, digital copies of identification are not allowed. AFA reserves the right to turn away any members of the public without physical photographic identification.

Upon confirmation of your order for Tickets, no exchange of Tickets will be made under any circumstances and Tickets are not transferable. No refund on Tickets will be made under any circumstances except due to cancellation of the event. The resale of Tickets at any price is prohibited.