*Worldwide Rights
IN POST-PRODUCTION
WHISPERS IN MAY
directed by DONGNAN CHEN
China / 90 Mins / Mandarin
Synopsis:
The film follows 14-year-old Qinghua, whose first menstruation sets off a journey of self-discovery. In the Yi traditions of Liangshan Mountain in southwest China, this milestone requires a new skirt for her menarche ceremony, marking her transition into adulthood and the potential for an arranged marriage. With her parents working in distant cities and her grandfather recently deceased, Qinghua hides her menstruation, relying on two close friends to help find the needed skirt.
Logline:
The film follows 14-year-old Qinghua, who with her two close friends, sets off a journey of self-discovery.
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‘IDFA Forum Project: Whispers in May by Dongnan Chen’ - Business Doc Europe
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Dongnan Chen, currently based in Shenzhen China, probes into the nuanced interplay between freedom and dilemma on the peripheries of the social fabric. Her portfolio includes shorts "Sound of Vision", "The Trail From Xinjiang", "14 Paintings", and the feature "Singing in the Wilderness", which have received important backing from Sundance Institute, IDFA Bertha, Xining First, Field of Vision, DMZ etc, and went on to get Emmy nomination, and selected by IDFA, IFFR, Sundance, New Director/New Films, HotDocs...and were broadcasted on NHK, POV, KBS, PTS. Dongnan is a graduate from New York University and a fellow of IDFAcademy and Sundance story and edit lab.
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Year: 2025
Country: China
Length: 90 mins
Director: Dongnan Chen
Producer: Jia Zhoa
DONGNAN CHEN
