Youth (Hard Times)

2025 3h 47m ZH

🙌

8.2

BANGER

★8.2TMDB · 5

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this enveloping second part of the Youth trilogy, shot between 2015 and 2019, Wang Bing deepens his vérité portrait of a generation struggling to survive on meager wages amidst a nation’s economic expansion, emphasizing the distrustful, increasingly combative relationship between workers and management.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wang Bing
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: France, Luxembourg, Netherlands

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

At 227 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released last year.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: France, Luxembourg, Netherlands.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Youth Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Wang Bing, shot by Shan Xiaohui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Dominique Auvray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt33029373 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wang Bing directs. Shan Xiaohui behind the camera. Dominique Auvray cuts. A long sit — settle in. Produced in France, Luxembourg, Netherlands. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1At 227 minutes, this is a three-hour-plus commitment — longer than 95% of films ever made.
2Released last year.
3International production across 3 countries: France, Luxembourg, Netherlands.
4Part of the "Youth Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
6Directed by Wang Bing, shot by Shan Xiaohui. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
7Editor Dominique Auvray shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8IMDB entry: tt33029373 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 5 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Shan Xiaohui
Editing: Dominique Auvray
Runtime: 227 min · 3h 47m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: ZH
IMDB: Youth (Hard Times) (2025)

Part of

Youth Collection

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 18 May 2023. It is the first installment in Wang Bing's Youth trilogy, followed by Youth (Hard Times) and Youth (Homecoming) in 2024.