One woman, one man, one dance floor: this is how Qiaoqiao (Zhao Tao) and Guo Bin (Li Zhubin) meet. Somewhere in the northern Chinese province, these sad souls have found each other, but their happiness doesn't last long. The mysterious and taciturn Bin becomes increasingly frustrated and flees his home. Qiaoqiao, confused by his sudden disappearance, sets off in search of the love of her life, but there is no room for her in Bin's new life. The silent journey of a woman begins as she glides almost apathetically through the provinces of China like a phantom, registering her changing surroundings. Chinese auteur filmmaker Jia Zhangke doesn't need anything else for his latest film Caught by the Tides With his incomparable ability to capture China's complex social and cultural landscape, he presents us with an almost dialog-free film that simply follows its characters through China's vast landscape. The result is a fascinating puzzle of stories and emotions as well as an evocative atmospheric picture of the rapid modernization of the People's Republic. Jia Zhangke combines everyday scenes with poetic images of the Three Gorges Dam that he himself took many years ago. Caught by the Tides looks like a found-footage film whose actual theme is the flow of time. History and stories combine creating a haunting metaphor for the collective expression of hope and grief in a changing China.