Up the Yangtze

A valley was flooded to create a huge dam, the largest hydroelectric dam system in the world. Up the Yangtze examines the people of the area and how they affected by various economic factors.
At one point an interviewee tells a parable that makes sense of all the effort and money being spent along this mighty river. An American ruler and a Chinese ruler are in a car and come to a fork in the road. On the right is capitalism and on the left is socialism. The American leader says turn right, while the Chinese leader says turn right but use the left turn signal.
There are some beautiful shots of ships moving through the dam canals as well as a tasty series of dissolves that show how the water has risen along one section. First we see islands in the middle, but at the end of the sequence those islands and a hut on the shoreline have disappeared. Shots of American tourists on a cruise ship are combined with Chinese who've been displaced. There's even historical footage showing Mao swimming in the river, and also young Chinese eager to find a way to make money on the cruise ships. The film doesn't demand attention but like a great river it keeps on flowing. Up the Yangtze will be appreciated best by those with interest in China or engineers.