It is the early 1990s in China and a western city boy named Xiao Lei has just graduated from primary school. Finally it is time for long-awaited summer holiday without any homework. However, what was to be his sunny carefree summer coincides with a defining moment of political change. With sweeping reforms to transform the country into a market economy, many people lose their supposedly secure life-long jobs – colloquially known as ‘iron rice bowls’ – and an entire generation including Xiao Lei’s family are forced to make difficult choices. Executive Producer Pema Tseden previously won the 2015 APSA for Best Children’s Feature for River, and cinematographer Lyu Songye also won a 2015 APSA for his work on Tharlo.
The Asia Pacific Screen Academy expresses its respect for and acknowledgement of the South East Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. We pay our respects to the Traditional Owners of country, including the custodial communities on whose land works are created and celebrated by the Asia Pacific Screen Awards. We acknowledge the continuing connection to land, waters and communities. We also pay our respects to Elders, past and emerging. We recognise the integral role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and First Nations peoples continue to play in storytelling and celebration spaces.
