An Elephant Sitting Still

An almost four-hour Chinese masterpiece that unfolds with astonishing ease. Four intertwining stories follow several strangers during one winter day as they all make their way toward Manzhouli, where, according to legend, an elephant sits quietly, indifferent to everything around it. For each of them, this mythical destination becomes the last chance to imagine a different life.

Hu Bo's journey refuses to comfort the viewer, asking us to live through every minute of despair — and every minute of hope — alongside its characters.

This is the first and only feature film by Hu Bo. After being pressured to shorten the film, he completed his four-hour cut and tragically took his own life at the age of 29.

🏆 FIPRESCI Prize, Berlin International Film Festival.

👩‍🦰 Discussion led by philosopher and ArtCinema co-founder Varya Vlasova.