Sideshow & Janus Films Take U.S. Rights For Jia Zhangke’s ‘Caught By The Tides’

Sideshow and Janus Films have bought U.S. rights for Chinese director Jia Zhangke’s epic drama Caught By The Tides, following its buzzy world premiere in competition at Cannes in May.

Written by Jia and Wan Jiahuan, the film follows a deeply moving love story over a 23-year time span against the backdrop of explosive growth in China. 

Made up of old footage shot by Jia over the past century as well as some new, the film traverses personal and national history including all of his films to date. 

Sideshow and Janus Films, which acquired the film from mk2 films, will release the film exclusively in theaters in the coming months.

The companies said in a joint statement: “Jia Zhang-ke is one of the twenty-first century’s most important filmmakers and with Caught By The Tides delivers what will surely be considered one of his great films that gives us the gift of watching Zhao Tao across over two decades culminating in one of the best scenes of their career together. We are thrilled to bring this to American audiences in the coming months.”

The picture is produced by Casper Liang Jiayan, Shozo Ichiyama and Zhang Dong. It is an X Stream Pictures, Momo Pictures, Huanxi Media Group Limited (Beijing) and Wishart Media (Quanzhou) production in association with mk2 Films, Ad Vitam and Bitters End.