NARA-wave
(B3) [WALLS]

In a foreign land far from family, a middle-aged Chinese woman struggles behind both walls of marriage and culture.
Having been supporting her family in China alone for more than ten years, the dry-cleaning shop owner meets a new customer, who liberates her from the lonely and colourless life in this foreign land. As a loyal wife who has been sticking to her family responsibilities, she begins to doubt her belief…

  • Director:Jing Zhao
  • United Kingdom
  • 2021
  • 11min.
  • monochrome
  • -
  • English, Mandarin, Cantonese
  • JPN & ENG Sub.

SNS

Screening Dates, Times, and Venues

Sep.21 (Wed.) 13:00-
Evans Castle Hall

Sep.23 (Wed.) 10:00-
Evans Castle Hall

*Only if there are vacant seats, tickets are available at the door.
Guest Talk

Guest Talk

Sep.21 (Wed.) 13:00-
Sep.23 (Wed.) 10:00-
After screening

On Demand

Sep.19(Mon.)0:00-
Sep.24(Sat.)24:00

Director
The protagonist in this film is based on a real-life character. She is COCO, a first-generation Chinese migrant worker, running a dry-cleaning shop in London alone far from her home country and family. I met her because she is one of the contributors to the last documentary I made, and we live on the same street in London. She is a very warm and genuine person from the first time I knew her, however, she became a quite different person during the interview—Even though I tried my best to explain my intention to relax her, she still deliberately made up some obvious lies in front of the camera. Especially when we talked about her family and her life in London, she kept repeating the phrase “It is all good. I have a perfect family. And we love each other so much” Her self-concealment, however, inspired me and made me curious about her personal life more. I cannot help wondering what kind of relationship she has with her daughter and her husband. What does family mean to her? Does she have any friends here? Is she very warm to all her customers, or just to me, and does that relate to her daughter (because her daughter and I are the same age)? These questions kept coming back to me after the interview. As I could not find answers directly from Coco herself, I got down to drafting a story about her.
Jing Zhao

London Film School

Recommendations from the NIFF Supporters

Lily supports her family far away in China. A ray of light shines through her gloomy days. The beautiful black-and-white images make the audience feel a kind of excitement that she has forgotten. The Cantonese and Mandarin films also evoke a sense of nostalgia for the Hong Kong people she encounters in this distant city.

Jury

Filmmaker

Shin Su-won

Her first feature Passerby #3 (2010) won the Best Asian-Middle Eastern Film award at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival. Short film Circle Line (2012) won the Canal+Prize in 65th Cannes Critic’s Week. Pluto(2013) second feature, won a special mention of Crystal bear 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. Her sixth Hommage (2021) was premiered at 34th Tokyo international film festival and is on the journey including Jeonju, Tribeca, Sydney film festival and many film festivals.

 

CEO ONGAESHI Holdings Co., Ltd.

Mituru Mulai

After serving as the director in charge of human resources at Recruit (currently Recruit
Holdings), the president of ⑭Recruit Agent, and the president and chairman of Recruit
Global Family Hong Kong, he became the fifth chairman of the Japan Professional
Football League (J. League), the first appointment from a private company. He
completed four eight-year terms and is now an honorary member. CEO of ONGAESHI
Holdings Co., Ltd.

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