Short Films

Shorts

Wang Guoju, Viv Li, Wang Dazhang & Qu Zhizheng

2024-2025

Programme

A Winter Mirage 冬蜃市 by Wang Guoju

2024 - 30 min - drama - Mandarin - Subtitles: English

Amid the economic decoupling of 2024, single mother Ailin closes her factory in Yiwu. Struggling to keep her wholesale business afloat, she must reclaim her opera job and come to terms with memories for her father on the Winter Solstice.

A Soil A Culture A River A People 又見炊煙 by Viv Li

2025 - 15 min - drama - English, Tagalog, Chinese, German - Subtitles: English -Venice Film Festival

In a dystopian future where borders between countries are indefinitely closed, a replica of Hannover in China becomes the only way to experience Western culture. Citizen Yu roams around this nostalgic yet eerie town built by the memories of the past. What does he really see?

Assimilation by Wang Dazhang

2025 - 27 min - drama - Mandarin - Subtitles: English

Bai Ye must navigate within a family that feigns harmony, confronting the dilemma of whether to assimilate or stay true to herself.

12 Moments Before the Flag Raising Ceremony 升旗手 by Qu Zhizheng

2025 - 16 min - coming-of-age - Mandarin - Subtitles: English - Belgian Premiere - Cannes Film Festival

In the capital city of Beijing, a middle school is about to hold a flag-raising ceremony. However, the flag raiser, Feng Xiao, is struggling with a growing urge to step down. Unfortunately, this is not a gentle winter for him.

Sphinx Cinema

Tuesday 10 March

20:00

88 min

Genre: Drama, Coming-of-age

Mandarin

Subtitles: English

About the Directors

Wang Guoju (A Winter Mirage)

Born in Jinhua, China, Wang Guoju studied music and philosophy before beginning his filmmaking journey in 2021. His work blends historical narratives with Buddhist philosophy to explore contemporary Chinese society. His documentary Letter From Ruin screened at the 2022 Shanghai Youth Film Festival, and his screenplay A Winter Mirage was selected for the 2024 Beijing International Film Festival ReelFocus Workshop.

Viv Li (A Soil A Culture A River A People)

Viv Li (°Beijing, 1990) is a Chinese filmmaker based in Berlin. Her film Across The Waters was nominated for the Short Film Palme d’Or at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and won the Lights On Women’s Worth Award. Her recent short, A Soil A Culture A River A People competed for the Orrizonti Best Short Film Award at the 82nd Venice Film Festival. Her short documentary I Don't Feel At Home Anywhere Anymore received a Jury Special Mention at IDFA 2020. Viv is currently working on her feature debut supported by Sundance Institute, Berlinale Talents and Chicken&Egg pictures.

Qu Zhizheng (12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony)

Born in Beijing in 2001, Zhizheng Qu holds a BFA in Cinematography from Beijing Film Academy, where he is currently pursuing an MFA degree. His graduation film 12 Moments Before the Flag-Raising Ceremony was selected for the La Cinef section of the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival. He is currently developing a hybrid documentary short and a feature-length screenplay.