One Summer

Language：Mandarin with English subtitles

一个夏天/一個夏天

UK Premiere

Provided By CathayPlay.com

Synopsis Out of the blue one day there’s a knock at the door and Xiaoping is arrested. His wife Zhen and their daughter are left in the dark about what he’s been accused of, where he’s been taken, and who exactly is responsible for his arrest. Zhen must try to lead a normal life for the sake of her daughter and find out what has happened to her husband.

Director’s Statement Things do not always happen naturally: there is always someone pulling the strings. This is the reality of contemporary China. Reality itself is absurd. On the one hand, the disorder and insecurity experienced by Zhen as she attempts to save her husband reflects the collective psychology of society. On the other hand, the film reveals how a woman perceives herself and the change in her individual psychology.

Curator’s Notes The film portrays Zhen’s life in the 30 days after her husband disappears. During this month, Liu constantly projects her anxieties onto her surroundings and her daughter. She struggles to maintain her everyday life while nervously asking about husband’s whereabouts. Daily life is revealed to be full of absurdity, as Zhen experiences a disorientated reality.

Festivals&Awards 2015 Hamburg Film Festival Political Film Award, 2015 Vesoul Asian Film Festival Special Mention of the International Jury