Set against the spectacular landscape of the Three Gorges region, Jia Zhangke's humane and moving film tells two contemplative and compassionate stories of a man and a woman searching for absent spouses in Fengjie – an ancient town on the Yangtze River which is being demolished and will soon vanish for ever in the flooding caused by the controversial Three Gorges hydroelectric dam project.

At the same time as offering a revelatory, thought-provoking portrait of people adrift in a world they no longer recognise, Still Life also reveals their energy, resilience and ability to reach new understandings. With long, uninterrupted takes, Jia Zhangke subjects the changing landscape to intense lyrical scrutiny, illuminating the relationship between individuals and their environment and the strange co-existence of man-made squalor with so much natural beauty.

Winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2006, Still Life has been announced for a UK DVD release on 25th August 2008 at the RRP of £19.99. An anamorphic 1.78:1 transfer and original Mandarin soundtrack will be supported by the following extra features:

• Feature commentary by Tony Rayns;
• Dong (Jia Zhangke, 2006, 66 mins), a documentary companion piece to Still Life on painter Liu Xiaodong and his subjects: male labourers from Still Life and female entertainment workers in Bangkok;
• Newly translated English subtitles (this DVD release of Still Life has been awarded a 15 certificate by the BBFC as the feature English subtitles translate to stronger language than appeared in its PG-rated UK theatrical release);
• Illustrated booklet with essays by Chris Berry and Jia Zhangke and interviews with Jia.