Your dad wants you to be a journalist. You want to be a rockstar. Guess who's losing?
Zuo Shouquan is the director of the morning paper in a north-eastern city. He has a daughter, Zuo Mingming, who lives with his ex-wife. The girl is neglecting her studies. She is not particularly interested in her education. Her father wants her to move and start working at his newspaper. Zuo Mingming won’t have it; she plays in a band and her only dream is to pursue a musical career in the south. Father versus daughter, north versus south – a deeply rooted conflict between different systems of values in a contemporary Chinese comedy.
Acting
Liang Long balances stubborn dad comedy with genuine pathos.
Direction
Jiang Jiachen captures northeast China's industrial melancholy beautifully.
Score
The band's music—raw, hopeful, and actually good.
Director
Jiang Jiachen
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Northeast China's 'Dongbei' region became cinematic shorthand for rust-belt decline and outmigration—think China's Michigan.
Director Jiang Jiachen reportedly cast actual local musicians for the band scenes to capture authentic underground scene energy.
CN
