Abstract
Notwithstanding the extensive discussion questioning concepts like “nation” and “nationalism” within historiography, and the debate about the actuality and functionality of “national cinema” as a category in the film studies field (BERRY, 2006), those notions continue to be used by film scholars, festivals, competitions etc. Contrary to the so-called “foundational narratives” (SOMMER, 2004), in which domestic happiness and national ideal were interwoven, some contemporary films maintain a strong relation between “individual” and “national” spheres, but in a negative way. This leads us to propose the “dissolution narratives” concept, anchored in Jia Zhangke’s film analysis, particularly Mountains May Depart (2015).
Keywords
national cinemas; dissolution narratives; contemporary cinema; Jia Zhangke; China