芳香之旅 | The Road

Aboard a bus in the rural mountains of China, a naïve young girl name Li Chunfen attends to passengers’ needs, all the while speaking of the virtues of the Communist Party. The always loyal Li is happy to serve the driver, Old Cui, a kind of father figure to her who also acts as the consoling voice of the party. When she develops an acute case of puppy love for a frequent passenger — an emotion that leads to a chased kiss and a rape report, she learns all too well that her party and driver might not always have her best interests in mind. But how big of hand will the Cultural Revolution play in Li’s life? How much control will she have over her own fate? Spanning five decades of Li’s life, The Road is a coming-of-age tale of epic proportions. Heartbreakingly beautiful — the countryside cinematography is jaw-dropping — and tragically timely, the film stands out as a masterful work from a powerful new Chinese voice, director Zhang Jiarui, reminding us of a painful history and warning us never to repeat it.

Directed by Jiarui Zhang | Starring : Jingchu Zhang, Wei Fan, Yuan Nie, Lu Huang, Xiaomei Jiang | Presented at Thessaloniki Film Festival, Cairo Film Festival

花腰新娘 | Huayao Bride In Shangri-la

A-long comes from a long line of dragon dancers and is driven to prove his own worth. A pride to their town of Longphozai, his family has always observed cultural traditions and respected the village leaders—unlike A-long’s childhood sweetheart Fengmei. Wilful and rebellious, Fengmei is determined to be with A-long even if it means flouting the Huayao tradition by joining A-long’s dragon dance team. Her impulsive charisma drives the team into numerous fixes and repeatedly brings the wrath of the village elder down upon a frustrated, confused A-long. But with a major dragon dance competition approaching, can A-long and Fengmei learn to balance their love with their cultural traditions? Or will they be forced to sacrifice one for the other? This lighthearted comedy deftly intertwines traditional Huayao song, dress and dance to illustrate the role of historical tradition in modern young love, and shot with brilliant scenery of China’s countryside.

Directed by Jiarui Zhang | Starring : Jingchu Zhang, Xiaotian Yin, Zheming Cui, Yilin Wang, Jiayi Zhao | Presented at N/A