Unknown Pleasures

Wednesday, April 30 - Tuesday, May 6, 2025

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

One of the first great films of the twenty-first century, Jia Zhangke’s third feature (and his first shot on digital) sets an arresting tale of disaffected youth against the backdrop of a changing China. Evoking the existential malaise of China’s so-called “birth control” generation—who came of age following the country’s one-child policy—UNKNOWN PLEASURES unfolds in a series of stunning, slow-burn long takes as it traces the relationship between an aimless teenage couple searching for meaning amid the detritus of Western pop culture.

Screening as part of Time and Tide: The Films of Jia Zhang-ke

See more and save! Get a Jia Zhang-ke Ticket Pack ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any three shows in the retrospective.

  • Country China
  • Language Mandarin with English subtitles
  • Year 2002
  • Running Time 112 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor Janus
  • Director Jia Zhang-ke
  • Cast Zhao Tao, Qiong Wu, Wei Wei Zhao, Qing Feng Zhou
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.