Jia Zhang-ke discusses ‘Torino Shadow,’ AI, and the continued importance of cinema audience

The inspiration for "Torino Shadow" struck Jia Zhang-ke not during the making of a film, but while steering clear of one. After wandering through the Museo Nazionale del Cinema in Turin, he found respite in the expansive central lobby, immersing himself in the ambient sounds and atmosphere of the museum.

"The journey began with appreciating cinema as an audience member, a film enthusiast – not from a filmmaker’s stance, but from that of a genuine film lover," Jia explains to Variety through a translator. This distinction – between the professional creator and the appreciative viewer – is central to his 32-minute short, officially selected for Cannes, which mk2 films is presenting for global sales.

Jia is managing multiple projects concurrently. While completing “Torino Shadow,” he also produced his inaugural theatre piece, celebrating an ancient Chinese doctor renowned for unearthing medicinal herbs, debuting on May 1. Now, both he and the film have arrived in Cannes.

For a director known for highlighting the upheavals in contemporary China, “Torino Shadow” is a more introspective exploration – reflecting on cinema’s significance rather than its visual documentation. The narrative traverses between Taishan in Guangdong province and Turin, a connection that was deliberate.

During Jia’s initial visit to Turin, the city’s unique arcade architecture, featuring connected passageways along its thoroughfares, brought to mind a familiar style from Taishan. This similarity has a historical root: Taishan is widely recognised as a home for overseas Chinese, many of whom transported this architectural style back after working on the San Francisco railroad.

The film artistically bridges visual and cultural parallels between these locations – firemen in Taishan are mirrored by their counterparts in Turin, while shadow puppetry in Taishan is reflected by similar displays in the film museum. For Jia, this reverberation across continents forms the film’s foundation: not focusing on differences, but on the common threads of human experiences.

“Approximately 30 years back, emphasis was heavily on cultural diversity,” he remarks. “However, in the era of globalisation, we encounter shared issues, shared livelihoods. It is vital to capture these from diverse viewpoints, sharing individual experiences – forming a basis for genuine communication.”

The art of shadow puppetry plays a significant role in “Torino Shadow.” The Museo Nazionale del Cinema’s collection spans the technological history of cinema from primitive street-show wonders to present-day motion pictures. Jia interprets that history as a testament to an ongoing human drive.

“Be it Eastern shadow puppetry or the moving images it evolved into, people have continually sought to articulate emotions through imaginative expression,” he notes. The film also weaves in a significant sequence from Nanni Moretti’s “Caro Diario,” establishing a particular cinematic lineage within its narrative.

This narrative holds a subtly compelling urgency. Jia openly shares the concern fuelling the film: cinema audiences are waning. “The aesthetic and philosophical joys traditional cinema imparts are attracting fewer enthusiasts who can appreciate them,” he observes. “Through this short film, I aim to convey a shared sentiment: the necessity of films and cinemas.”

It is a theme he has compared with its most discussed competitor. Earlier this year, around Lunar New Year, Jia unveiled a short film crafted with AI image-generation tools. He assesses this technology with typical meticulousness – neither dismissive nor overly eager. His approach is straightforward: understanding precedes judgment.

This experiment underlined, most significantly, the lost value in what it replaced. In the realm of AI, he explains, the creation is confined to just you and the developer – limiting imagination. Traditional filmmaking is a collective endeavour, akin to Stefan Zweig’s “The Tide of Fortune.” “I summarise it as: starry hours,” he says, alluding to Zweig’s idea of those rare moments when human effort shines brilliantly. “I am fond of the concept of starry hours.”

As for AI’s authentic capabilities, he sees them not in replicating live-action cinema but in visualising what lies beyond the camera’s reach. “With AI, we can envision 100 types of plants or flowers not found on Earth,” he muses.

Jia’s feature film is proceeding as planned, albeit with some delays. Initially, he mentioned beginning production in December 2025; the schedule has now shifted, with plans to start post the Pingyao International Film Festival later this year. While a title exists, he states that his producer has advised against making it public just yet.