For a hot second, Resurrection looked like it had flatlined. Whispers swirled—Chinese censorship, scheduling conflicts, radio silence from the festival. But this morning, Cannes finally dropped the curtain: Bi Gan's elusive third feature is officially in competition for the Palme d'Or.
And just like that, the most anticipated Chinese film of the year is back from the dead.
Let's be blunt—Bi Gan is not your average arthouse darling. His debut Kaili Blues (2015) reshaped narrative time like it was origami; his follow-up Long Day's Journey Into Night (2018) featured a 59-minute unbroken 3D tracking shot that felt like dreaming in slow motion. Critics called it “Lynchian” because they didn't know what else to say. Now, Resurrection, reportedly clocking in at 150 minutes, enters the Cannes race as the 22nd and final Competition title—fashionably late, suspiciously silent, and culturally loaded.
Until this morning, its absence raised eyebrows. Was it censorship? Logistics? Politics? In a year when Chinese cinema has faced tightening regulatory nooses, the delay sparked very real fears. Not unfounded either—remember Hu Bo's An Elephant Sitting Still (2018), whose journey was marred by state interference and whose director tragically never saw its success?
Cannes has a complicated relationship with Chinese auteurs. The festival embraced Jia Zhangke (A Touch of Sin, Ash Is Purest White) and hailed Lou Ye even when Beijing blacklisted him. But every addition from China comes with the unspoken caveat: Will it make it past the Ministry of Culture?
That's why Resurrection feels bigger than just another late-announced entry. It's a signal flare. In a Cannes lineup largely dominated by European and American prestige fare—new works by Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, and Andrea Arnold—Bi Gan's film is a rare and vital pivot eastward.
Here's the kicker: The first look image (released alongside the announcement) is as cryptic as his narratives—haunting, melancholic, blue-tinged. It tells us nothing, yet hints at everything. Like watching a ghost flicker across a Polaroid.
Cannes didn't just add another film to its lineup. It revived a mystery. Whether Resurrection delivers a masterpiece or an overreach remains to be seen—but the path it took to even exist on this stage? That's already its own cinematic arc.
So—would you stake your Palme predictions on a film that almost vanished? Comment below.
