Synopsis

An 18-year-old skater boy, Cheng Fei, discovers his half-sister, He Sheng, whom he never knew, and gradually unravels a family secret that has been hidden for years.

Curator’s Note

Although it is not uncommon to see works that focus on the suffering of the family of origin, “Growing Apart” picks a unique perspective to show the past and trauma that runs through the Chinese families of the two protagonists, and boldly incorporates a series of poignant topics such as family planning, son preference, and parental control into the youthful stories of the two protagonists. The film's plot allows one to intuitively feel the heavy sacrifices women were forced to make during the years of family planning policy, an indelible piece of collective memory. （Yutian Liu）

Director’s bio

LONG Lingyun graduates from College Central Saint Martins with a MA degree in Performance Design and Practice. He is the director of cinematography of the Chilean feature film Still Life with Insects. He has worked for MTD, a pioneering theatre group in the UK, and has participated in the production of several multimedia interactive theatrical videos. He has worked for ELLE and VOGUE CHINA as video supervisor and commercial director and collaborated with brands such as Mercedes Benz, Chanel, L’Oréal, Avène, Bulgari, H&M, Westin Hotels among.

Director’s Note

Family planning slogans were all over China in the 1980s, and thirty years later the one-child policy came to an end. This is the unique imprint of times for our generation. Rather than telling a big history or a policy, Growing Apart depicts the fate of a family in the aftermath of family planning, centers on the sacrifices made by women from the perspective of teenager Cheng Fei. In the end, Cheng Fei reconciles with his family of origin, a process that everyone needs to bravely face up to in life.

Festival & Awards

Casts

Shang Yuxian, Yue Xiaoke, Ai Liya, Zhao Yanguozhang, Zhang Xinran

Credits

Screenplay by Long Lingyun, Guoxing Liu, Junqi Jin

Editing: Tom Lin, Matthieu Laclau

Sound: Zhu Yunhao

Art director: Wang Xiao, Zhang Haoyang