Set in China December 18–21, 2025

Istanbul Modern Cinema presents a selection of recent Chinese films that have garnered both box-office success and critical acclaim at international festivals over the past two years. Now in its third edition, the program explores contemporary Chinese culture and the country’s ongoing socioeconomic transformation through diverse stories and characters, while also showcasing the expanding presence and genre range of Chinese cinema on the global stage. The selection includes Art College 1994 (Yìshù Xuéyuàn 1994), an animated film capturing the youthful and artistic spirit of 1990s China; The Shadowless Tower (Báitǎ zhī guāng), which competed at the Berlin Film Festival and depicts an unexpected bond between a middle-aged father and a young woman in Beijing; and Her Story (Tā de gùshì), a box-office hit hailed as “China’s answer to Barbie,” celebrating women’s solidarity.