(Canada/2008—directed by Yung Chang)

In China it's known simply as “The River.” But the Yangtze – and all the life that surrounds it – is undergoing a transformation wrought by the largest hydroelectric project in history: the Three Gorges Dam. Chinese-Canadian director Yung Chang returns to the stunning, quickly-disappearing landscape of his grandfather’s youth to trace the surreal experience of a lavish “farewell cruise” – packed with well-to-do American and European tourists – as it traverses the gargantuan waterway. Overflowing with wit and deeply perceptive humanism, Chang captures a decisive moment in modern history in what The New York Times called “An astonishing documentary of culture clash and the erasure of history.” (93 min.)

“A gloriously cinematic, spectacular documentary. The qualities of the production, like the Three Gorges itself, are oceanic.”  -John Anderson, Variety