A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth

1988 0h 46m EN

🙌

7.7

BANGER

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★7.7TMDB · 3★7.2IMDB · 65

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Director Philip Haas and artist David Hockney invite you to join them on a magical journey through China via a marvelous 72-foot long 17th-century Chinese scroll entitled The Kangxi Emperor's Southern Inspection Tour (1691-1698), scroll seven . As Hockney unrolls the beautiful and minutely detailed work of art, he traces the Emperor Kangxi’s second tour of his southern empire in 1689.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

David Hockney
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Philip Haas
Writers: David Hockney
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

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 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 46-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Philip Haas, shot by Curtis Clark. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0164525 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Philip Haas directs. Curtis Clark behind the camera. Curtiss Clayton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 46-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
238 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Philip Haas, shot by Curtis Clark. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Curtiss Clayton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6IMDB entry: tt0164525 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Only 3 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Curtis Clark
Editing: Curtiss Clayton
Runtime: 46 min · 0h 46m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A Day on the Grand Canal with the Emperor of China or: Surface Is Illusion But So Is Depth (1988)
IMDB rating: 7.2/10 · 65 votes