Jia Zhang-ke on His Cannes Short ‘Torino Shadow,’ AI, and Why Cinema Still Needs You in the Room
Jia Zhang-ke's short film 'Torino Shadow,' selected for Cannes, reflects on cinema from the perspective of a film lover rather than a filmmaker. The 32-minute piece draws parallels between Taishan, China, and Turin, Italy, emphasizing shared human experiences over cultural differences. Inspired by architecture and shadow puppetry, the film explores the historical connections between the two cities and the evolving role of cinema in a globalized world.
- ▪Jia Zhang-ke conceived 'Torino Shadow' while resting in the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin, listening to ambient voices and absorbing the cinematic atmosphere.
- ▪The film connects Taishan in Guangdong province with Turin through shared architectural styles and cultural practices like shadow puppetry and firefighting traditions.
- ▪Taishan is a historic hometown of overseas Chinese, and its emigrants brought architectural influences from Italy back to China after working on railroads in the U.S.
- ▪Jia emphasizes that globalization has led to shared human experiences, which should form the basis of cinematic storytelling.
- ▪Shadow puppetry in the film symbolizes the early roots of cinema and serves as a bridge between the cultural histories of China and Italy.
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| Canonical URL | https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/jia-zhang-ke-torino-shadow-interview-cannes-1236750770/ |
| Publication time | Sun, 17 May 2026 05:20:00 +0000 |
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Home Film Festivals May 16, 2026 10:20pm PT Jia Zhang-ke on His Cannes Short ‘Torino Shadow,’ AI, and Why Cinema Still Needs You in the Room By Naman Ramachandran Plus Icon Naman Ramachandran Latest Sundance Winner Neeraj Churi, Daniel Talbott Team on Mumbai Queer Feature ‘Starvation’ (EXCLUSIVE) 5 minutes ago Yash on How ‘Toxic’ and ‘Ramayana’ Are Putting Indian Cinema on the Global Stage (EXCLUSIVE) 12 minutes ago Cannes Short ‘The Dream Is a Snail’ to Get Feature Adaptation (EXCLUSIVE) 34 minutes ago See All Asian Film Awards The idea for “Torino Shadow” came to Jia Zhang-ke not while he was making a film, but while he was avoiding one.
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