Paris-basedsales agent Memento Films has moved to sign up Venice Golden Lion winner StillLife, directed byChina's Jia Zhangke.

Mementohas also come on board Jia's documentary East (Dong), which played in Venice's Horizonssection.

It hasalso emerged that Jia's next film will be a period costime drama, set to startshooting next Spring. Office Kitano is already on board as partner.

Both producedby Jia himself, Still Life and East are companion pieces shot in China's Three Gorges area ofthe Yangtze River and examine the Hydro Project - China's biggestconstruction since the Great Wall involving a dam which is one-and-a-half mileswide and 600 feet high. Its construction, mooted for over a century, hasinvolved the evacuation of entire villages and may have untold ecologicalramifications.

Jia's winat Venice was a surprise as the contemplative, dialogue-sparse film had notbeen tipped and it is believed that the jury, led by Catherine Deneuve, hadproblems coming to a final decision. Ultimately, Emanuel Crialese was awarded aspecially-created Silver Lion Revelation for Golden Door and it is believed the Italiandirector missed out on the Golden Lion by just one vote.

Memento,which has Cannes titles The Violin and Colossal Youth at Toronto, is also co-producer and Frenchdistributor of Golden Door. Previously, both Still Life and East were represented by Jia'sproduction company Xstream Pictures, based in Hong Kong. Memento CEO EmilieGeorge said she hoped this would be part of an ongoing collaboration with Jia.