''Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks'' ( , 铁西区) is a 2002

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...

by Wang Bing. Over nine hours long, the film consists of three parts: "Rust," "Remnants" and "Rails." ''Tie Xi Qu'' was filmed over the course of two years between 1999 and 2001 and details the slow decline of

Shenyang Shenyang (, ; ; Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly known as Fengtian () or by its Manchu language, Manchu name Mukden, is a major China, Chinese sub-provincial city and the List of capitals in China#Province capitals, provincial capital of Lia ...

's industrial Tiexi district, an area that was once a vibrant example of China's socialist economy. With the rise of the free market and the move towards other industries, however, the factories of Tiexi have all begun to be closed down and with them much of the district's worker-based infrastructure and social constructs. Although ''Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks'' is rarely seen due to its length, many critics have named it one of the best and most important films of the 2000s.

Synopsis

"Rust"

The first portion, "Rust," follows a group of factory workers in three state-run factories: a smelting plant, an electric cable factory and a sheet metal factory. Workers of all three are hindered by sub-standard equipment, hazardous waste, and a lack of safety precautions. Perhaps even worse, the declining need for heavy industry results in a constant shortage of raw materials, leaving the workers idle and concerned for their future. In Chinese, this section is called 工廠 (''gōngchǎng''), meaning "factory".

"Remnants"

The second part, "Remnants" follows the families of many of the workers in an old state-run housing block, "Rainbow Row." In particular, Wang focuses on the teenage children who concern themselves with their own lives but must also cope with their inevitable displacement as Tie Xi's factories continue to close down. In Chinese, this section is called 艳粉街 (''Yànfěn Jiē''), meaning "Yanfen Street."

"Rails"

The third part, "Rails" narrows its focus to a single father and son who scavenge the rail yards in order to sell raw parts to the factories. With the factories closing however, their future suddenly becomes uncertain. In Chinese, this section is called 铁路 (''tiělù''), meaning "railway."

Reception

According to ''They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?'', a website which aggregates critics' reviews, ''Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks'' is the 32nd most acclaimed film of the 21st century. In a 2012 poll by the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

, eight critics named it one of the 10 greatest films ever made.

References

External links

* *
Jumpcut Discussion
*Ramos-Martinez, Manuel (2015),
The Oxidation of Documentary - The Politics of Rust in Wang Bing's ''Tie Xi Qu:West of the Tracks''
, at ''Third Text'' Chinese documentary films 2002 films 2000s Mandarin-language films 2002 documentary films Chinese avant-garde and experimental films Shenyang Films directed by Wang Bing 2000s Chinese films {{2000s-documentary-film-stub