Weeds by the River
Directed by Ayang Gao- Narrative Features
- China
- Experimental/Drama
- Mandarin
- Subtitled
- 2024
- 94 mins
- United States premiere
During a hot and humid summer in the south, Mr.Wang mysteriously disappears after playing by the river, and the neighbor who secretly loves him, Xiao Fei, falls into sadness and confusion She works numbly during the day, and wanders the river like a ghost at night to find the traces of Mr.Wang. One night, Xiao Fei comes to the temple by the river to pray, the river at night reflects the whole world like a mirror. She seems to shuttle between the boundary of reality and unreality, meeting a fisherman who looks like Mr.Wang. Memory, reality and illusion are intertwined at this moment, and it is difficult to distinguish whether it is the real world or the illusion of a projected inner world…
Directed by Ayang Gao
Director’s Bio: Gao Ayang, born on 1986 in Chongqing,China, graduated from Chongqing University in China with a bachelor’s degree in film and television directing and a minor in law. Gao graduated from the University of Essex UK East 15 Acting School with a degree in film and won the Documentary Short Garland Award at the 34th Sport Movies & TV Milano International Ficts Fest.