Chongqing- On January 13, the premiere ceremony of the documentary "A City Sets Sail," directed by British director Arthur Jones, was held in Chongqing. The documentary showcases the construction process of Raffles City Chongqing, one of the most innovative and daring architectural projects in Asia in recent years, from the beginning of design to the completion of the construction, capturing on camera the efforts and dedication of the people who witnessed and participated in the great completion of the iconic structure.
The poster of the documentary "A City Sets Sail." (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Located at Chongqing Chaotianmen, where the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers meet, Raffles city Chongqing is seamlessly tied into the city. Today, it is also home to the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Connectivity Initiative Operating Centre. With two of the largest towers in Western China and the highest horizontal skyscraper in the world, it is at the center of monumental innovations in architecture and construction that will shape the large-scale multi-use developments into the future.
The grand blueprint has gone from manuscript to reality. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Moshe Safdie, the lead designer of the project, shared his feelings about watching the film with the audience, "It made me relive the whole process again, from the idea, design, execution, construction, and all the complexity of bringing this super building to reality."
Moshe Safdie, the lead designer of Raffles City Chongqing, sent his blessings by video. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
Moshe marveled at the urbanscape from Raffles City Chongqing as a very particular combination of nature, rivers, mountains, and urban development during the construction process. He was extremely impressed at the construction rate. "I come here, and I send pictures back home to the office and friends, and they all look in wonder and say, 'Only in China.'" In New York, it would take a decade or more.
Originally from the UK and now based in Shanghai, director Arthur Jones, who has lived in China for over 20 years, has a long history of presenting the real China through his lens. When he first visited Chongqing in 1999, he felt it was a city with a unique character. For this reason, he was drawn to Chongqing in 2014 to film the construction of this super project. "A City Sets Sail" is his first long span of filming in western China. "It was a very fulfilling experience." he said, "We were fortunate to be able to witness the growth of this new icon of the megacity in its entirety. We hope that in the future more people can learn about Chongqing and Raffles City Chongqing through the film, and pay attention to Chinese architecture and the people who work silently behind each architectural marvel."
The director Arthur Jones shared his feelings with the audience. (Photo provided to iChongqing)
"A City Sets Sail" took five years to shoot. How was the crystal corridor built with a total of 12,000 tons of steel, and how did 110 trees magically "settle" in midair? When the flood comes, how do the architectures prevent flooding? The film provides a panoramic record from the creative design of the "sail towards the sky" shape to the construction challenges of various natural factors.
In addition, Arthur Jones made it a point to observe the life of the workers. He said that it was awe-inspiring that the workers could stay active despite the high intensity of work in Chongqing's hot and humid summers. On this basis, he recorded the life and working status of the workers to make the audience understand that behind the super-project is the contribution of every individual character.
The documentary "A City Sets Sail" will be officially released on January 20, 2022. The overseas audience can watch it through CapitaLand's YouTube channel to find the construction process of this urban icon and many of the stories you care about.