Synopsis
Winter in Xiamen, nights of young people. Jiang met Yu for the first time, she told him that the day after tomorrow was her birthday and asked if he would like to come. They liked each other, and spending a wonderful night together. However, two days later, when they met again, they suddenly felt a sense of unfamiliarity towards each other.
The party took place on a mountain by the seaside, attended by Yu’s friends. They played music, sang songs on the mountain, and went down to the sea, had a great time. However, Jiang couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t quite fit into Yu and her friends’ world throughout the night. Unconsciously, Jiang began to realize that their relationship seemed to have come to an end from a certain moment. Perhaps in Yu’s mind, it had never truly begun.
Guan Haotian
Guan Haotian. Screenwriter, Director, Editor. Graduated from the Film and Photography program at Communication University of China in 2018, and has been working in the film and television industry ever since. His short films BIRD ON THE WIRE (2020) and CHILDREN'S CORNER (2021) were selected as finalists at the 14th and 15th FIRST International Film Festival respectively.
Director's statement
This film tells a relationship that ends before it even begins. I tried to capture a moment: one day you meet someone you really like and enjoy being with, but at some point when you meet each other again, you suddenly feel estranged, as if the past never existed.
In fact, films that depict authentic contemporary emotions of young people are lacking in mainland China. What I wanted to portray was the atmosphere when young people are together. Powerlessness, losing sight of the future, dedicating energy to love, friendship, entertainment, living day by day. It may seem nihilistic, but I find it romantic, and it’s something I wanted to celebrate in this film. The film was shot in early 2022, considering what happened afterwards, I believe that every time when young people gather together, it will become a small act of rebellion. I hope I captured their sense of freedom.
