Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks
China | 2002 | 9h 11min (551min) | Documentary |
Northeastern Mandarin
Director: WANG Bing
Screening Time：10/18/2025 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
LA Premiere
Synopsis:
Wang Bing’s nine-hour epic of Shenyang’s rust-belt factories is one of contemporary cinema’s foundational documentaries. Sight & Sound describes it as a “monumental threnody to twentieth-century industry,” and in the BFI poll of the 50 Greatest Documentaries, it ranks among the top entries. To see it with the director on stage is a rare chance to encounter a film that literally rewrote the scale and ethics of documentary practice.
*Validated parking by the theater at the Trader Joe, 9290 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
We begin the marathon screening at 10:00 am with Part I: Rust, divided into two sessions. The first runs about two hours, followed by a short 15-minute break. The second half of Rust plays from 12:15 pm to 2:15 pm, leading directly into a 45-minute lunch break.At 3:00 pm, we continue with Part II: Remnants (176 minutes). A 20-minute pause at 5:56 pm allows for a quick rest before the final stretch. The program concludes with Part III: Rails (135 minutes), screening from 6:16 pm to 8:31 pm. Followed by an IN PERSON Q&A with Wang Bing.
In order to create an immersive experience of the Chinese factory and workers’ life, the screening will be staged in the event space of the theater, using the regular screen but without traditional rows of seating. Audiences are encouraged to bring their own picnic blanket and pillow to spread out on the floor and watch the film comfortably. At the back of the room, couch seating will also be available for those who want to alternate.
Tickets include all-day free coffee, tea, and hot water, as well as a special gift package: a bottle of Chinese beer, a selection of factory-style Chinese snacks, a cup of Chinese instant noodles, and a specially designed souvenir ticket for the event. As a final reward, anyone who stays through the entire nine-hour journey will receive an exclusive completion pin, made only for this marathon.