CRITICS’PICKS

In “Up the Yangtze,” Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang documents the transition as the Yangtze, the longest river in Asia, undergoes the construction of Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world, big enough to flood entire cities and displace about 2 million Chinese. Focusing on two of the young people working for the Farewell Tours of the river put on by Victoria Cruises, Yung shows what societal change means on a personal level. “Up the Yangtze” blends this empathy with its subjects with a striking visual quality, haunting images that show both the beauty and uncertainty of this pivotal time.