So Long My Son traces the lives of two families over three decades of social, political and human upheaval in China. Following the loss of a child in a tragic accident, their paths separate. Destinies ebb and flow, and fortunes are transformed under the impact of a country’s changing face. Yet even as their lives diverge, a common search for truth and reconciliation around the tragedy remains. But sometimes it can take a lifetime to say farewell. So Long My Son chronicles people and a society in full transformation - in which human relationships and the tumultuous evolution of a nation are inevitably and inextricably intertwined.
A pioneering director of 1990s independent Chinese cinema. He is one of the few filmmakers to remain true to his art in spite of the rampant commercialism of China's film market. His directorial debut Dongchun di rizi screened in the 1994 Forum and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. His work has already screened twice in the Competition: Shi qi sui de dan che won the 2001 Jury Grand Prix; Zuo You won the Silver Bear for Best Script in 2008. He was appointed Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture in 2010.