Maizi

Set in Beijing during the early 1980s, Zhengwu and Zhengwen are brothers in their twenties, living their most vibrant and youthful years. Zhengwu takes his classmates and younger brother, Zhengwen out for dinner, in which he introduces Mao Zhen and her best friend, Feng Siyi. Zhengwen becomes enamored of Mao Zhen, an amicable, outgoing, and mystic young woman.

While cleaning her room, college student Xuefei stumbles upon her mother’s old love letters, unveiling a poignant romance between her and a poor student that faced social obstacles due to their different backgrounds. As Xuefei delves into her mother's past, she realizes her own love life mirrors her mother's story, hinting that some encounters may be written in fate.

"Mayi, the protagonist in this strikingly stylised debut ... works as a removals man for a company belonging to a relative. In his spare time, he drinks and plays cards with his colleagues. At a certain point he sees an opportunity to find his way into the immediate vicinity of the beautiful Hudie and his obsession won't stop when it becomes clear that she receives a lot of male visitors. His desires and ambitions put him on the path of minor white lies, with dramatic consequences." - IFFR

A'e, a widow approaching seventy, lives with her unmarried son Shi'an. When her recently divorced daughter Shining returns home with a child, an invisible wall settles over the family. One cold winter, A'e is swindled while trying to buy herself a cashmere sweater — and the incident cracks open the old house's hidden grief, forcing each member to face what they have long buried.