VERDICT: A wonderfully observed sketch of a family lunch in late-1990s China that not only captures period mood but is compiled from glimpses of myriad miniature dramas.
Very little of real consequence happens in Wenqian Jiang’s Remains of the Hot Day.
It is not a film concerned with grand narrative and yet in the accumulation of its quiet observations, it positively brims with mood, character, and sense of a very particular moment in modern Chinese history. Set during a single lunchtime on a humid afternoon in the 1990s, it was conceived of by Jiang as a way to explore the very tangible memories she has of being a young girl at this time. The film perfectly evokes the feeling of a memory – like a mosaic of atmosphere and glimpsed detail.
In this way, it doesn’t offer much in the way of narrative momentum, instead revelling in minor interactions and moments of respite. If there is a protagonist, it is probably the little girl (Yuyi Wan) from whose perspective the meal unfolds – presumably standing in for Jiang. In the same small apartment littered with oscillating fans are her mother, grandmother and grandfather, her uncle, his wife and their baby.
Yunlai Dai’s camerawork is unobtrusive and the editing by co-screenwriter Yue Huang is similarly low-key. Instead, the film patiently observes short moments – a snatch of a conversation about some commercial matter, the girl’s mother teaching herself English, and the uncle and aunt shutting themselves away for quietude in the bedroom. The dramas are not overt, but Jiang immaculately suggests the various dynamics within the household and the desire for something new that emanates particularly from the middle generation. Perfectly weighted for its short runtime, it manages to be both slight and on various levels, truly insightful.
Director, sound Design: Wenqian Zhang
Cast: Yuyi Wan. Jinkui Jiang, Yi Shi, Yiwen Gu, Zhengye Chen, Juliette Wu, Zimeng Li, Xiaoqing Zhao
Producer, editing: Yue Huang
Screenplay: Yue Huang, Wenqian Zhang
Cinematography: Yunlai Dai
Production design:Nuanqi Chen, Qing Yang
Production companies: Trembling Flame Films (China)
Venue: Berlinale (Berlinale Shorts)
In Mandarin, Wu
24 minutes
