“Beautifully observed portrait! By journey’s end, Yung has found, in the Yangtze, a brilliant natural metaphor for upward mobility in modern China: Whether they hail from the lowlands or the urban centers, everyone here is scrambling to reach higher ground.â€
The Villlage Voice“A gloriously cinematic doc of epic, poetic sadness… China’s Three Gorges Dam is considered by many experts to be a full-steam-ahead eco-disaster, but helmer Yung Chang’s gorgeous meditation is more concerned with the project’s collateral human damage: old farmers evicted, young people in servitude to Western tourists, all brought about by an endeavor whose collective weight may ultimately tilt the Earth’s axis.“
Variety“Extraordinary… There have been, and will be, many films dealing with the flooding of China’s Yangtze River. This one is not to be missed. Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang goes back to the river where his grandfather grew up and documents the end of a way of life.â€
Toronto Globe and Mail“What particularly makes UP THE YANGTZE a fascinating work is how filmmaker Yung Chang addresses the larger societal issues facing China today by following these young peoples’ personal journeys…. Visually, the film’s lush cinematography captures the beauty of the Yangtze River, with its majestic gorges, rural villages and modern cities dotting its banks.â€
Cinematical“…masterful and haunting documentary! “
“A moving cinematic tale of life on Asia’s longest river raises questions about ecology.”
The Ecologist