Liyan and Yuwen live in post-war torpor, childless but with Liyan’s school-aged sister. He coughs, imagining he has tuberculosis; Yuwen embroiders; they sleep in separate rooms. A surprise visit from Liyan’s boyhood friend Zhang, a big city physician, wakes up the household. To Zhang’s amazement, he discovers his friend’s wife is his own youthful sweetheart. Possibilities abound: an affair, an arranged marriage of Zhang and Little Sister, now 16, or simply ending ennui and embracing vitality.
Directed by Zhuangzhuang Tian | Starring : Jingfan Hu, Jun Wu, Bai Qing Xin, Xiao Keng Ye, Si Si Lu | Presented at Venice Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Chicago Film Festival, Vancouver Film Festival, Tromso Film Festival, Rotterdam Film Festival, Buenos Aires Film Festival, Istanbul Film Festival, Hawaii Film Festival