Waiting

The Great Earthquake

Is it for me?

Sign in to check how this title fits your taste.

Synopsis

On Tomb Sweeping Day, in 1988, a film crew set out for the monument of the Tangshan earthquake to shoot a memorial ceremony for the victims. This marked the beginning of shooting for a documentary called "The Great Earthquake." The crew continued to shoot through the rest of 1988, even staging a large-scale rock 'n' roll concert and performance art event on the Great Wall, and into 1989, including footage shot at the famous 1989 Avant-Garde Art Exhibition, where one artist fired two gun shots at her exhibit. More footage was shot during the Tiananmen protests, up until the events of June 4th shut down production for good. Shortly before, a two-hour "rough cut" was assembled by main director Wen Pulin and Assistant Director Hao Zhiqiang, which screened only once (and is preserved at University libraries in the U.S.). The footage has been recycled in some of Wen's later films, notably "China Action," but "The Great Earthquake" itself was never finished.

Ask Ray About This

Similar titles for me

Personalized recommendations based on your taste

What I'll love (and hate)

Honest personalized pros and cons

If I loved this...

Your next watch to keep the feeling

More from these creators

Director, writer, and cast filmography

Convince a skeptic

Arguments to get potential cowatcher on board

Hidden details

Easter eggs and things you missed

Where to Watch

Unlock Streaming Availability

Sign up and add your streaming services to instantly see where you can watch this title – no searching, no guessing.

Credits

Crew

Additional Info

Similar Titles

Frequently asked questions

What is The Great Earthquake (1989) about?

On Tomb Sweeping Day, in 1988, a film crew set out for the monument of the Tangshan earthquake to shoot a memorial ceremony for the victims. This marked the beginning of shooting for a documentary called "The Great Earthquake." The crew continued to shoot through the rest of 1988, even staging a large-scale rock 'n' roll concert and performance art event on the Great Wall, and into 1989,…

Where can I watch The Great Earthquake?

Streaming availability for The Great Earthquake changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.