Synopsis
Cao Luyi, a B-scan doctor lost his job. He had no choice but to go to the “Dongshan Courtyard” sanatorium for medical services. Most of the patients in the sanatorium have dysgnosia, including a couple: Yingjun and Yanzi. Yanzi has been pregnant. As the days went by, Luyi got familiar with the noisy and chaotic life in sanatorium, even if he didn’t want to at the first place. Although the people here always made him angry and speechless, he gradually opened his heart to them. Yanzi’s pregnancy test showed that the fetus had encephalocele. For her, childbirth is very risky. Luyi suggested abortion. But Yingjun and Yanzi finally moved Luyi, whose father is also a dysgnosia patient. Luyi determined to help them. Who is the one to redeem or to be redeemed, it is not up to the intelligence. In the Dongshan courtyard, Luyi finally knows what love is.
Ha Zhichao
Scriptwriter and director of films and plays. Ha Zhichao graduated from the Central Academy of Drama, majoring in Film and Television Directing. He also graduated from the Beijing Film Academy and his speciality was Literature. He has been committed to stage drama creation for a long time and has won many awards, including the highest award of Chinese drama, the "Golden Lion Award".
Director's statement
The film tells a story of encounter. A young doctor meets an intelligently-challenged couple eagerly looking forward to meeting their unborn child… All the encounters happen in an welfare home far from the disturbances of urban life, which we try to portray as a fairy-tale land. During preparation, the cast and crew spent a long time in an actual welfare home, which was a far cry from fairy tales, but both the patients and those who took care of them were like storybook characters. Their sorrow and happiness had a childlike directness, and their affection and distaste showed an uncalculating innocence. It’s a misfortune to have medical conditions, but it’s also through misfortunes that we understand life. Being alive is the greatest blessing. Even if life lasts for a mere minute, it is still an encounter to remember.
