A luxury cruise boat motors up the Yangtze - navigating the mythic waterway known in China simply as "The River." The Yangtze is about to be transformed by the biggest hydroelectric dam in history. At the river's edge - a young woman says goodbye to her family as the floodwaters rise towards their small homestead. The Three Gorges Dam - contested symbol of the Chinese economic miracle - provides the epic backdrop for Up the Yangtze, a dramatic feature documentary on life inside modern China.
The film opens in a 19th century river town under lockdown by government troops. Word has reached the emperor that a band of rebels have hidden their families, including the leader’s son Erh Mao, in the town. Rebel supporters are spiriting the children to a boat that will take them to safety.
What's in a name? Filmmaker Yung Chang explores the meaning and origins of both of his names: the one given to him in Oshawa when he was born and the Chinese name that drew him back to his homeland.
