(Kar-Wai / 2004 / Hong Kong (subtitles) / 129 mins / 35mm / cert 12a)
(Fri 4th + Sun 6th-Thurs 10th @ 8pm + Sat 5th @ 4pm / £4/3/2ttt)

In this new feature, a sequel of sorts to Kar-Wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, journalist Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) returns to Hong Kong, an unhappy man trying to exorcise the love of his past with a string of frivolous sexual liaisons- including a stay with Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi of CROUCHING TIGER and HERO fame). Inspired by these episodes, Chow writes an erotic science-fiction novel called '2046', about a mysterious train which takes passengers on a one-way journey to a future year where they hope to recapture their lost memories.
The director spent 4 years editing the piece and it shows! It is an object of rarely witnessed refinement and complexity, with some of the most satisfying futurescapes seen on screen since BLADE RUNNER. Veteran collaborator Christopher Doyle again provides delicious cinematography lingering heavily on the actors faces as they smoke, smirk and cry there way to heartbreak. 2046 is also the last projected year that Hong Kong will remain a semi-autonomous entity, before being fully reunited with China, underlining that the present is always intrinsically linked to the future and the past.