VANISHING DAYS

In the sluggish days before the rainy season come to the eastern coast of China, 14-year-old Li Sen-lin struggles in the unbearable heat to come up with a good topic for an essay at school. One day, she finally finds inspiration in the visit of her Aunt Qiuqiu, an old friend of her mother, who turns up suddenly after a long absence and tells tales of adventures on an uninhabited island, and the death of her husband. With “Vanishing Days”, director Zhu Xin tangles reality and memory together to conjure up a gossamer tale that floats at the edge of consciousness, as the first thunderstorms and rain clouds approach on the horizon. Even the setting, the Chinese city of Hangzhou, seems strangely timeless. It’s like being caught up in a Chinese midsummer night’s dream. The film was presented at the Berlin International Film Festival 2019, Busan International Film Festival 2018, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2019 and Marrakesh International Film Festival 2018.

Zhu Xin (1996, Hangzhou) is a Chinese film director and writer. He studied Film and Television at the China Academy of Art. “Vanishing Days” is his first feature-length film.