ASC member Roberto Schaefer recently highlighted this must-see film:
"If you have the opportunity to see this Chinese movie do it! It is 155 minutes of visual delirium with a story to match... truly amazing and engrossing."
Resurrection, directed by Bi Gan (Long Day’s Journey Into Night), is a phantasmagoric love letter to cinema history. Unfolding over chapters in wildly different styles—from Méliès-inspired silent fantasy to wartime thrillers, con-artist tales, and a stunning long-take vampire romance—it explores a sci-fi world where dreaming is forbidden for immortality, but rogue "fantasmers" keep imagination alive.
DP: Dong Jingsong Cannes 2025 Special Award winner Now in select theaters (Janus Films release)
Official Trailer:
Lessons for emerging cinematographers:
"If you have the opportunity to see this Chinese movie do it! It is 155 minutes of visual delirium with a story to match... truly amazing and engrossing."
Resurrection, directed by Bi Gan (Long Day’s Journey Into Night), is a phantasmagoric love letter to cinema history. Unfolding over chapters in wildly different styles—from Méliès-inspired silent fantasy to wartime thrillers, con-artist tales, and a stunning long-take vampire romance—it explores a sci-fi world where dreaming is forbidden for immortality, but rogue "fantasmers" keep imagination alive.
DP: Dong Jingsong Cannes 2025 Special Award winner Now in select theaters (Janus Films release)
Official Trailer:
Lessons for emerging cinematographers:
- Experimenting with aspect ratios and era-specific styles
- Blending practical shooting with VFX for dream textures
- Mastering long takes on ambitious scales
- Using shifting color palettes to evoke emotions
