The post-1990s saw the rise of the Sixth Generation filmmakers, many of whom worked outside the state studio system, yet brought “Chinese cinema” to world’s attention. Jia Zhangke’s cinema verité (truthful cinema) film Still Life highlights the negative features of China’s entry into modern capitalism. Heavily focusing on ordinary people, Jia’s cinematic career is best seen as characteristic of postsocialist societies both East and West. This particular film attempts to capture the lost past through the future; repeatedly stressing that despondently holding onto the past will most often lead to being swept away by the rapidity of time. Despite the folly of seeking the past, it is apparent that Jia somewhat admires this way of thinking. This
