urban-rural divide

His films like 'After the Storm' and 'Shoplifters' poignantly explore how rural migrants navigate poverty and displacement in urban environments, revealing the invisible boundaries between city and countryside.

Through works like 'Kes' and 'I, Daniel Blake,' he documents how rural working-class communities are devastated by urban-centric policies and economic systems.

His films including 'Still Life' and 'Mountains May Depart' chronicle China's rapid urbanization and its traumatic effects on rural populations forced into modern cities.