It was arguably the most engaging film at this year’s Cannes (Thierry Frémaux might have included it in the competition if not for Caught by the Tides shoring up), and I believe, it stands as the most groundbreaking piece of contemporary cinema dealing with the profound anxiety felt during the pandemic. Similarly, this docu-fiction exemplifies what was at stake when COVID-19 disrupted the entire system: the flow of creativity, freedom, and the indispensable role of the auteur. A Special Screenings selection, I hadn’t experienced such a level of second-guessing what I was watching since my first viewing of Sarah Polley’s flawlessly told Stories We Tell (2012).
We now learn that Lou Ye might not actually be finished with An Unfinished Film. According to Variety, the Chinese filmmaker (who was celebrated at the First International Film Festival), Lou confirmed that the film was “indeed not completed,” and that he will continue to work on the film. The journalist suggests that this could mean a re-edit or a sequel for the filmmaker (or even perhaps shaping the film edits he used from the previous films). In addition to this news, we learn he has been working on another project known as “Three Words” or “Re-TROS After the Applause Nan Jing Documentary.” So two possible new works to look forward to perhaps as soon as 2025.
An Unfinished Film is set in January 2020. A film crew reunites near Wuhan to resume the shooting of a film halted ten years earlier, only to share the unexpected challenges as cities are placed under lockdown. In my review, I suggest that “this is part documentary yet part faux documentary, part fiction (with thriller genre elements) and part critical essay, An Unfinished Film seeks to contextualize the past by reframing the present.” The Toronto Intl. Film Festival will likely lasso the North American premiere unless the Telluride folks showcase it first.
