Cinema Guild acquires Jia Zhangke documentary Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue

NEW YORK, NY- Cinema Guild announced today the acquisition of all U.S. distribution rights to Jia Zhangke’s Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and made its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival. Cinema Guild will open the film in early 2021.

From master director Jia Zhangke (Ash Is Purest White, A Touch of Sin) comes a vital document of Chinese society since 1949. Jia interviews three prominent authors—Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, and Liang Hong—born in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, respectively, and all from the same Shanxi province where Jia also grew up. In their stories, we hear of the dire circumstances they faced in their rural villages and small towns, and the substantial political effort undertaken to address it, from the social revolution of the 1950s through the unrest of the late 1980s. In their faces, we see full volumes left unsaid. Jia weaves it all together with his usual brilliance. SWIMMING OUT TILL THE SEA TURNS BLUE is an indispensable account of a changing China from on of the country’s foremost cinematic storytellers.

"We’re so excited to welcome a new film from Jia Zhangke into our catalog," said Cinema Guild President Peter Kelly, "Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue showcases his unique gift for revealing truths incredibly specific to his homeland and yet at the heart of who we are as a human race."

The deal was negotiated by Peter Kelly of Cinema Guild with mk2’s Fionnuala Jamison.

Cinema Guild is a premier distributor of world cinema, independent films and documentaries, whose upcoming releases include Hong Sangsoo's The Woman Who Ran, Matías Piñeiro's Isabella and Kazik Radwanski's Anne at 13,000 ft. Recent theatrical releases include Angela Schanelec's I Was at Home, But... and RaMell Ross's Academy Award-nominated Hale County This Morning, This Evening.

For press inquiries, please contact Cinema Guild at: (212) 685-6242 or press at cinemaguild dot com.

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