*Worldwide Rights
IN POST-PRODUCTION
WHISPERS IN MAY
directed by DONGNAN CHEN
China, Netherlands, Sweden, South Korea / 92 Mins / Mandarin
Synopsis:
In the remote Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qinghua embarks on a roadtrip with her two besties to find a skirt for her menarche rite of passage. Grounded in reality, the film slowly evolves into a fable, captured in a spontaneous documentary style that allows its young protagonists to fully embody their roles within the film's space. As the roadtrip goes beyond social norms and unfolds into a spiritual voyage, Whispers in May clings to the last moment of childhood in a cinematic time capsule.
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
