Marrying fact and fiction, the transformation of a decades old weapons factory into a modern apartment complex called 24 City is forged for the screen. Director Jia Zhangke states his belief that History is always a blend of facts and imagination?as his motivation for combining actual interviews of former workers with interviews of famous stars like Joan Chen and Lu Liping portraying composite characters. The result is critically acclaimed film that expands the working class focus of Jia's recent films Still Life and Useless.

A once glorious now obsolete aeronautic factory facing demolition, Factory 420 and three generations of its workers are chronicled poignantly: a nostalgic He Xikun visits his now senile boss after many years out of touch; painterly montage of the gradual dismantling of the factory set to tender string music by Yoshihiro Hanno. Grander themes like historical turmoil, seismic shifts in economic and human infrastructures are in the periphery, but always informing these characters' destinies.

24 City was in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, one of numerous nominations and awards Director Jia Zhangke has earned since making his first feature film Xiao Wu (Pickpocket) in 1998.

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Yugong Yishan, Ping An Avenue, No.3 Zhangzizhong lu, 100m west of Zhangzizhong lu subway Statation.

西城区平安大道张自忠路3号，地铁五号线张自忠路站往西100米 or call: 6404-2711

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