In Public

In Public

2001 · 30 min · ★ 6.2 · Documentary

A fragmentary landscape for a little train station in a suburban area and a bus stop in a mining town. A lonely soldier in his heavy coat, a tired old man, a bubbly young lady, a punk, a woman waiting in the street... From all those different people in these unfamiliar places, we can feel the exhaustion of every life.

Directed by Jia Zhangke · Written by Jia Zhangke

Your Rating

Make it a double feature

2h 9m together

In Public

Half the Sky

Both from Jia Zhangke.

More from Jia ZhangkeSee all →

Half the SkyHalf the Sky · 2018
Half the Sky
★ 10.02018
MovieDrama
Crossroads with Luo YonghaoCrossroads with Luo Yonghao · 2025
Crossroads with Luo Yonghao
★ 10.02025
SeriesReality
This is a long-form, in-depth podcast hosted by Luo Yonghao, with each episode running three to five hours. We engage in extended conversations with figures shaped by the currents of our time, focusing on technology and the humanities—telling personal stories of fate and exploring the forces driving our era.
Thirteen TalksThirteen Talks · 2016
Thirteen Talks
★ 8.82016
SeriesTalkReality
PickpocketPickpocket · 1997
Pickpocket
★ 7.21997
MovieDrama
A small town pickpocket whose friends have moved on to higher trades finds himself bitter and unable to adapt.
A Touch of SinA Touch of Sin · 2013
A Touch of Sin
★ 7.22013
MovieCrimeDrama
Four people in different provinces are driven to violent ends: An angry miner is enraged by corruption in his village. A migrant discovers the possibilities of owning a firearm. A receptionist is pushed beyond her limits by an abusive client. A young factory worker goes from one job to the next.
Still LifeStill Life · 2006
Still Life
★ 7.22006
MovieDramaRomance
A town in Fengjie county is gradually being demolished and flooded to make way for the Three Gorges Dam. A man and woman visit the town to locate their estranged spouses, and become witness to the societal changes.
The HedonistsThe Hedonists · 2016
The Hedonists
★ 7.22016
MovieComedyDrama
The closure of an unprofitable state-run coal mine in Shanxi, China forces three middle-aged men who worked there to search for employment elsewhere.
Mr. TreeMr. Tree · 2011
Mr. Tree
★ 7.22011
MovieDrama
Teased by hallucinations, Shu, a slacker living in a rural village, struggles with an ever-loosening grip on reality. Yet when one of his visions manifests as real, his fellow villagers come to regard him as a clairvoyant. Can Shu genuinely see into the future? Is he actually just a basket case? Or is he perhaps more lucid than he seems, and pulling a fast one on everyone?
PlatformPlatform · 2001
Platform
★ 7.12001
MovieDramaHistory
China’s rapid changes from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, as seen through the lives of four performers in a theater troupe.
Black DogBlack Dog · 2024
Black Dog
★ 7.12024
MovieDrama
Released from jail, Lang returns to his hometown in Northwest China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with clearing stray dogs before the 2008 Olympics, he bonds with a black stray. The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together.
The Lychee RoadThe Lychee Road · 2025
The Lychee Road
★ 7.12025
MovieDramaHistory
A Tang Dynasty minor official risks everything to deliver lychees across China. Li Shande, middle-aged and struggling, sees this dangerous mission as his last chance for success.
Mountains May DepartMountains May Depart · 2015
Mountains May Depart
★ 7.02015
MovieDramaRomance
The life of Tao, and those close to her, is explored in three different time periods: 1999, 2014, and 2025.
Ash Is Purest WhiteAsh Is Purest White · 2018
Ash Is Purest White
★ 6.92018
MovieCrimeRomance
Set in China's underworld, this tale of love and betrayal follows a dancer who fired a gun to protect her mobster boyfriend during a fight. On release from prison 5 years later, she sets out to find him.
Caught by the TidesCaught by the Tides · 2024
Caught by the Tides
★ 6.72024
MovieDrama
Years after her boyfriend left her for the big city and promised to bring her there after he’s settled down, a Chinese woman sets out on a journey to be reunited with him.
White BuildingWhite Building · 2021
White Building
★ 6.22021
MovieDrama
Samnang, 20, faces the demolition of his lifelong home in Phnom Penh and the pressures from family, friends, and neighbors which arise and intersect in this moment of sudden change.
All Tomorrow's PartiesAll Tomorrow's Parties · 2003
All Tomorrow's Parties
★ 6.12003
MovieDramaScience Fiction
In a future century, after the apocalypse, Gui Dao dynasty controls continental Asia. Zhuai and his younger brother Mian are captured and sent to "Prosperity Camp" for reeducation. They soon discover that the camp's aim is to brainwash people with propaganda. Five years later, there's a change in government and they are free again. Zhuai falls in love for the beautiful Xuelan and together they take her to an old industrial city, now deserted. They get themselves a place to live in an abandoned apartment and try to rediscover the little pleasures of life.

More Like This

Tie Xi Qu: West of the TracksTie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks · 2004
Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks
★ 7.82004
MovieDocumentary
A detailed look at the gradual decline of Shenyang’s industrial Tiexi district, an area that was once a vibrant example of China’s socialist economy. But industry is changing, and the factories of Tiexi are closing. Director Wang Bing introduces us to some of the workers affected by the closures, and to their families.
Flavors of YouthFlavors of Youth · 2018
Flavors of Youth
★ 6.92018
MovieAnimationRomance
The rigorous city life of China, while bustling and unforgiving, contains the everlasting memories of days past. Three stories told in three different cities, follow the loss of youth and the daunting realization of adulthood. Though reality may seem ever changing, unchangeable are the short-lived moments of one's childhood days. A plentiful bowl of noodles, the beauty of family and the trials of first love endure the inevitable flow of time, as three different characters explore the strength of bonds and the warmth of cherished memories. Within the disorder of the present world, witness these quaint stories recognize the comfort of the past, and attempt to revive the neglected flavors of youth.
Ju DouJu Dou · 1990
Ju Dou
★ 7.31990
MovieDrama
Tianqing falls in love with Ju Dou, his uncle's wife who is tortured for being childless. However, after they have an affair, they discover that his uncle is impotent and try to conceal the truth.
Shanghai TriadShanghai Triad · 1995
Shanghai Triad
★ 6.91995
MovieDramaCrime
Shanghai, China, 1930. When young Shuisheng arrives from the countryside, his uncle Liushu puts him at the service of Bijou, the mistress of Laoda, supreme boss of the Tang Triad, constantly threatened by his enemies, both those he knows and those lurking in the shadows.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter