Synopsis
“In my hometown of Jiujiang, China, a natural lake and an amusement park share the same name: Gan Tang. The name, meaning “pear trees,” is often associated with a beautiful imagery and comes from the oldest Chinese poem collection, Book of Odes. […] In the summer of 2023, the lake was blocked from the public, drained, and cleansed, followed by the demolition of the Gan Tang Park. The government promises a “new” lake and park, but the question remains: will they still bear the spirit of Gan Tang after these changes? Who decides what is “old” and “new” in a city’s story?” — Tianming Zhou
A word from Tënk
At the 2025 edition of Cinéma sous les étoiles, the jury, composed of essayist, professor, and union organizer Dalie Giroux; documentary filmmaker and popular education facilitator mathilde capone; and anti-capitalist activist, journalist, and filmmaker Yvon D. Ranger, awarded the Best International Short Film Prize to Gan Tang, The Lake by Tianming Zhou.
“Like a moment suspended in time, this true visual poem offers a subtle yet powerful meditation on loss, memory, and all that is destined to disappear, at the expense of a future that erases and seeks to control the elements.”
The Jury of the 2025 edition of Cinéma sous les étoiles
