The Summer Solstice (film)


The Summer Solstice is a 2007 Chinese film written, produced and directed by 1st time director Li Ruijun. Li delivers an unsentimental and forceful portrait of a 21st-century Chinese family and the pursuit of their dreams in a changing world.

Synopsis

HuYang arrives in Beijing in a hot summer to make his fortune but his company goes broke, and he becomes a monk to beg for alms. He meets his sister-in-law YangHua, and while looking for his younger brother HuTao, they get into a relationship. Soon after, they receive news that HuYang's father has died and return to their ancestral home. However their dubious relationship proves scandalous and the whole family has a serious meeting to solve the problem. It ends with YangHua's pregnancy and the whole family agrees to their marriage. After the short, happy marriage, however, HuYang's dreams beckon once more and he leaves for Beijing again. Months later, he comes back home again on a hot summer night – the same hot weather as it is in Beijing.

Cast

Screening history

Completed in 2007, the film has screened at the following festivals: