August (2024)

A Cathartic Journey

Zhang Zhehan tells his story through snapshots of the people he meets and of the natural wonders he sees on the journey to Lhasa.

The result is a documentary full of warmth and happy discoveries, with an undertone of the director's struggle to embody that joy himself as he used to. And what perhaps matters the most when discussing topics such as mental health and healing, Zhang doesn't portray the story as a cookie-cutter, happy ending fairytale.

Throughout, the documentary is visually gorgeous. The power of nature is shown in full, and so are the hopes, dreams and daily life of the people encountered on the way. There is no artificial dramatization of the events or emotions, and no attempt to turn human experience into a consumable.
Zhang Zhehan lets the genuine happiness, confusion and love of the journey speak for themselves, all the while carefully listening to them himself.

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Amazing Tibet biking documentary

I love to know how Zhang Zhehan is throughout the best Tibet biking documentary. The people he met, the stunning landscapes of Tibet captured by him, and the words showing his lovely and thoughtful mind, all let me know the importance of life keep going and no regret to the past. I wish I can see more about this kind of documentary by the director Zhang Zhehan.

It's really the August I imagined, and it's not just that August. Listening to Zhang Zhehan talk about every August he encountered in his life, until that moment. He pushed August into the abyss with us, watching him climb up the iceberg step by step, with endless cliffs next to him, as if that August had been embodied in this way, and then restarted in August of 2022, and finally August of 2023. Arriving in his dream Tibet, I seemed to be inspired by his indomitable spirit and revived, just like I had experienced the past three years with him.

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Sensational, Inspiring, and Healing!

"August" is a warm and inspiring documentary story about director Zhang Zhehan. This documentary debut is beautifully performed with breathtaking cinematography and sensational narration. This film makes me realize that no matter what evil or hardship we experience in life, only by keeping going on and never giving up on ourselves, eventually we will see the truth, goodness and beauty of the real world. And along the way, we can even realize our dreams and create our own miracles! Look what an achievement director Zhang Zhehan has accomplished with numerous music credits and awards in less than three years after he lost everything in his career! 《August》is definitely a film with hope, serenity, and strength!

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This is a heart-warming and healing documentary.

Zhang Zhehan suffered huge rumors and slander online violence in August 2021, which led to the interruption of his acting career and his life has fallen into hell. In August 2022 and 2023, he went cycling to see the world, people, scenery, and all the beautiful things. He was saving himself and people who were also hurt.
Even though he suffered huge online violence, Zhang Zhehan still appreciates the beautiful things in the world with a beautiful eye. In this documentary, he showed his broad-mindedness, strength, optimism, and courage to move forward.
I think people who have also suffered from online violence can find strength from this documentary. This is a heart-warming and healing documentary.

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A great cycling documentary that allows you to ease your pain.

When I was preparing my graduation thesis, I was recommended by a friend and discovered this documentary. At that time, I was in a state of extreme anxiety, always thinking that if my defense didn't pass, would my life be hopeless? Later on, when I saw this documentary, I felt that my anxiety symptoms had improved a lot. To be honest, I started writing this film review after watching it twice. The first time I watched it was without searching for any actors. What attracted me the most was the narrative rhythm and techniques of the documentary. This documentary did not pile up boring displays of cultures encountered while cycling, but presented culture and stories from the actors' first perspective, which is really charming. The second time I watched it was after reviewing the story of documentary director Zhang Zhehan. After learning about the unfair fate and treatment suffered by Zhang Zhehan in his own country, I had the ability to appreciate the documentary from another perspective. I better understood the emotions he expressed in the documentary, not strong demands, but a gentler and warmer reconciliation and search. His optimistic attitude towards the desperate situation just woke me up: life is a step-by-step process, as long as we live, there is nothing impossible.

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In August, searching for my name, seeking my August

Zhehan knows what he has endured, understands what lies ahead, yet he says, 'Let's set off again.' The method of the wheel seal is to imprint anew, to move forward. On the journey, old scars may not vanish, but they no longer bind hands, feet, or heart; they are just one of countless Augusts.

'The feeling of being trusted by others is truly a blessing.' Only those who have experienced it truly understand the weight of this sentence. The world sees me, I see them; that's the significance.

Only a transparent soul, a clear mind, and a firm determination can shake hearts with the most authentic power of documentary filmmaking. When Zhehan said he found inner peace, miraculously, my heart also calmed down and felt empowered. A great director is a magician of emotions, and his film 'August' is a profoundly empathetic work.

This is a documentary about director Zhang Zhehan, about actor Zhang Zhehan, about singer Zhang Zhehan-it's simply about Zhang Zhehan. 'August' seems to have answers, yet seems to have none. Only by giving it our all and continuing to move forward can we know the result. I also want to know the answer, so I'll accompany him on this journey!

As violin melody of the song 'Lost Glacier' comes to an end, looking at those lines of achievement, it's like seeing glacier melting, a small flower blooming after hibernation, the dignity and courage understood only by those who have seen it.

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