Navigating and feeling place in 24 city and The World

Abstract

The article explores how the representations of place offered in Jia Zhangke's seminal films The World (2004) and 24 City (2006) contribute to Jia's overarching politicized commentary on how the fragile, albeit pervasive, underpinnings of contemporary neoliberal discourse rely upon romanticized notions of belonging and attachment within the context of contemporary urban China. Through a rigorous exploration of each text's depiction of urban sites, distinct localities and the corporeal, an examination of how bodies attempt and fail to feel belonging, connection and attachment is provided to consider what it means to experience and feel place and its lack. By marshaling theoretical approaches on place offered within critical geography, an analysis on the seemingly idiosyncratic sensation of intimacy, a critical component of experiencing place, is revealed to be a subjective and affectual experience that is framed by socioeconomic and cultural conditions. With these considerations in mind, an analysis on what it means to experience place within a context of socioeconomic exploitation and rapid cultural transformation -conditions that characterize Jia's representation of contemporary China-is offered.