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Jia Zhangke Readies Zhao Tao Road Movie ‘Mamma Dunhuang,’ Rules Out AI in Production (EXCLUSIVE)
Jia Zhangke is preparing “Mamma Dunhuang”, a road movie starring Zhao Tao as a woman driving from Dunhuang in western China to the eastern coast. The film explores China’s continental geography and will feature AI as part of its story, although Jia says no AI will be used in production.
Filming is planned for early winter, following location scouting and production design work after the Pingyao festival ends on 30 September. Jia, who founded the festival, says its 10th edition includes 51 films and aims to prioritise intimate, diverse cinema; online ticketing recorded more than 70 million visits, while plans for a 300–500-seat cinema remain constrained by the ancient city’s UNESCO World Heritage status.
In short
- Jia Zhangke’s next film follows a woman travelling from Dunhuang to the sea.
- Zhao Tao will lead the AI-themed road movie.
- Jia rules out using AI during production.
Explained simply
Jia Zhangke is a prominent Chinese filmmaker whose work typically explores contemporary China and its landscape. He is preparing a new film called "Mamma Dunhuang", a road movie in which a woman drives from Dunhuang, an ancient city in western China, to the eastern coast. The film aims to use this journey to examine China's vast geography and regional diversity.
Zhao Tao, an actress who has frequently collaborated with Jia Zhangke, will play the lead role. Road movies are a film genre structured around journeys and encounters along the way, making them well-suited to exploring landscape and geography.
Jia Zhangke's previous films have been shown at major international film festivals, which gives context to the wider attention this new project receives. The film represents his ongoing interest in exploring contemporary China through its people and places.
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