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.