I Wish I Knew

The story of I Wish I Knew explores the history of the ever-evolving Chinese metropolis through interviews with 18 persons of varying degrees of connection with the city. Like the chapters of a novel, their personal stories together form a bigger picture of the changes of Shanghai from the 1930s to the present day. These people include descendants of legendary figures like Zhang Xinyi (Zeng Guofan's great-granddaughter), Fei Mingyi (Fei Mu's daughter), Du Meiru (Du Yuesheng's daughter), and contemporary luminaries like director Hou Hsiao Hsien, Spring in a Small Town actress Wei Wei, singer Rebecca Pan, painter Chen Danqing, and writer Han Han. Their stories of rebels and revolution, soldiers and war, gangsters and assassination, artists and romance are neatly linked together by an anonymous character portrayed by Jia's regular actress Zhao Tao. (jakelijan virallinen teksti)