朱美静

Zhuang is a late bloomer. When he first meets his classmate Meng, a talented long-distance runner, he rashly and spontaneously takes the blame for her theft of a starting pistol. But before they can get to know each other better, Meng gives him the cold shoulder. Confused, Zhuang decides to join Meng’s track team, even though this leaves him with less time for studying. Academic pressure is added to the puzzles of adolescence. Zhuang plans to surprise everyone with a bold gesture. He is just waiting for the right moment...

Chinese funerals require much preparation: a three-day wake and various rituals precede the cremation. In the opening shots of this magical realist film, the widow returns home drained and starts tidying up the house, only to encounter her deceased husband casually sauntering down the stairs. She soon readopts a familiar routine: dressing him warmly, measuring his blood pressure and bickering with him. This absurd premise soon develops when visitors from the afterlife are expected and the daughter starts getting involved. As she seeks to solve the impossible situation, grandson Jiajia seems to be the only one unquestioningly embracing grandad's return. All shot in long, composed takes, replete with understated humour and tender reflections on family, loneliness, memory and the passing of time. (c) IFFR