Dayao, a rather immature young man, lives on his mother’s farm but works in the city, just like his pregnant wife Tiantian. He enjoys living close to nature. She wants to buy a flat in the city: her child will not suffer from poverty as they do.

After an accident at his construction site, Dayao is severely injured. He can’t speak anymore, his brain is damaged. He slowly recovers at his mother’s. Tiantian has to juggle two jobs and live in the city with her friend Xiaoying.

After his mother’s death, Tiantian brings Dayao back to the city. When their child is born, she loses her job. With no resources and reluctantly, she decides to leave, leaving her child behind. Though Dayao can barely speak, he is now independent and chooses to return to the forest of his childhood with his son.

Director: Zhang Tao

Written by: Zhang Tao, Jérémie Dubois

Language: Mandarin

Production:
House on Fire (France)
Les Films Fauves (Luxembourg), Terratreme Filmes (Portugal), Butong Films (China), Beijing dreama films (Chine), Yilu Partners (South Korea), Fasad (Sweden)

Participation:
CICLIC, ARTE Kino Cinéfondation, Cineworld, Creative Europe MEDIA, CNC – Aide aux Cinémas du Monde, Région Ile-de- France – Aide à la production, ICA Minority coproduction fund, Swedish Film Institute 


Selections:
L’atelier de la Cinéfondation 2020, TFL Feature Lab 2021