Chinese director Bi Gan added another milestone to his career on Saturday, winning the Special Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival for his ambitious fiction feature Resurrection (Kuang Ye Shi Dai). The film, a poetic exploration of memory and time, premiered to critical acclaim late Thursday night, blending silent-era aesthetics with modern storytelling techniques.
In his acceptance speech, Bi Gan thanked festival organizers and his cast while emphasizing the collective effort behind cinematic innovation. "This award belongs to everyone who believes in the power of storytelling," he said, highlighting the collaborative spirit of global filmmaking.
Resurrection, a sprawling two-hour-and-forty-minute epic, marks Bi Gan's third feature and reinforces his reputation as a visionary in Chinese arthouse cinema. Festival jurors praised the film for its "sensory richness" and "evolution of creative ambition," noting its seamless fusion of experimental visuals and emotional depth.
Bi Gan first gained international recognition at Cannes in 2015 with his debut feature. Over the past decade, the 35-year-old auteur has become a defining voice for a new generation of filmmakers bridging Eastern narratives with universal themes.
