Nostalgia

他乡/他鄉

IN COMPETITION

“Meitian” is a peculiar town tucked away in a remote corner of a poor county, once made prosperous by coal mining. It was once a modern town, where the latest movies were shown in cinemas, the youth dressed fashionably, and even when its residents travelled to Guangdong province, they were respected and seen as “the wealthy.”

In the past, people from all over the country flocked to “Meitian”, drawn by the coal mining boom of the planned economy era. However, as times changed, the boom faded, and the town was left to grapple with mining disasters, landslides, and lingering consequences. The lives of those left behind were swept along by the tide of history, with individuals sacrificing their identities for the collective good, turning what was once a “foreign land” into their “home.” Today, “Meitian” remains a place name, but its significance as a “home” has been dissolved by time. Those who came with fate and left with fate now sing “come back” on buses bound for their hometowns, gazing out at the overgrown ruins and crumbling walls. This desolate land, torn apart by time, is a homeland that the wanderers can never return to. -Qi Wu. Co-Lead Curator of Odyssey 2024

Offline Screenings

Thur, 26 Sep | 18:00, Showroom Cinema, Sheffield | BOOK NOW