Fenyang, 1999: Tao has two suitors, Zhang and his best friend Liangzi. Tao decides, with a note of regret, to marry Zhang, an aspiring entrepreneur. Flash-forward 15 years, the couple’s son Dollar is paying a visit to his now-estranged mother and everyone has grown more distant in time and space.

The films of Sixth Generation auteur Jia Zhangke are history-spanning, masterful delights. Mountains May Depart is set in the past, present, and future—each innovatively shown in a different aspect ratio. This makes for a rivetingly modern Chinese melodrama guided by the star presence of Zhao Tao.