Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue is a film about resolve–which is what this documentary’s subjects all speak to while recounting their lives, as well as what you’ll need in order to watch this delicately crafted, yet densely, rich film. Following three prominent Chinese authors—Jia Pingwa, Yu Hua, and Liang Hong—born in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, respectively (and all from the same Shanxi province), the figures recount stories of hardship and oppression they faced that shaped who they would be as artists, and how those experiences would affect the Chinese nation on the whole.

Expression

You can see it in their faces, and hear it in their rich stories, that this is a deeply personal film both to the speakers, filmmaker Jia Zhang-Ke, and for the Chinese culture at large. And while that much is applauded, the stories themselves are quite simply, pretty difficult to follow. Spoken in the native Chinese language (with English subtitles) and told with a conversational nature that includes details of Chinese history, important years and events, locations, and figures, it’s a lot to keep track of–especially as we aren’t introduced into this world and would be better knowing who these people are beforehand so we can contextualize their stories better. Jia Zhang-Ke (Ash Is Purest White) captures their stories with soft compassion and curiosity, and also adds footage of modern-day China set to lush concerto piano to break up the interviews to create a softer, more dream-like experience. But while the expression is there, it is difficult to follow along and understand and connect with all the way through.

Expression: 3 out of 5 stars

Daring

Are you ready to sit and listen to people from another generation recount stories from their lives? Made up solely of interviews, the film isn’t daring in its structure and is quite traditional and respectful in this way. However, it’s daring in that it asks the audience to stay invested in these people and these stories throughout its two-hour runtime, as Jia Zhang-Ke does not make the film very accessible for average audiences to follow along with. There’s a fascination in watching people of other cultures share stories and events that we have never heard before, but the non-traditional choice to remain on their faces without also using any sort of B-roll makes the film tougher to follow and connect with.

Daring: 2 out of 5 stars

Craft

There is clear craft in Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue, as the film feels as delicately handled as a careful brushstroke of a Chinese character: all handled and presented with a light and graceful touch. Interviews are simply yet exquisitely photographed and staged. And there’s calm, peaceful tranquility that moves the story along. Structurally, the film is broken into chapters with themes like family, food, and love but there’s nothing beyond that like archival footage that could better connect the dots.

Craft: 3 out of 5 stars

Impact

Unless you are following along at every moment, the documentary is going to be a very challenging watch for average audiences. I struggled to follow along with the stories and both take in all of the information and then process that in real-time (again, the film could have been more accessibly made to clearly form the subjects). As a result, the impact was that I felt a general sense of generational evolution from old-world to new-world China. If you’re able to give yourself over with rapt attention, the stories may connect even deeper for you than they did for me.

Impact: 2 out of 5 stars

Conclusion

Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue is a finely made document of China’s history recounted in detail in its present. It also feels like a vital piece of art that both chronicles and celebrates a time when Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage needs to be better understood by all cultures. That doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s still a very challenging watch. The language barrier and cultural divide are difficult, but it’s also exactly this that means we shouldn’t ignore it. History survives from the stories we tell and the words we share. So even though it may be difficult, there’s a celebration in even attempting to give yourself over and try to learn other people’s stories, which puts us on the road to connection.

Conclusion: 3 out of 5 stars

‘Swimming Out Till The Sea Turns Blue’ is now playing in New York and Los Angeles.