Sometimes yellow, sometimes green

Narrative Short ｜ 2023 ｜ 16min

Shen Zhou returned to the old courtyard house of her childhood, hoping to discover the whereabouts of her younger uncle, who had been missing for months due to financial struggles and debts. She also intended to pay respects to her deceased grandmother.

Upon finally encountering her younger uncle in the abandoned factory dormitory, she gleaned from their conversation that he had tragically taken his own life. Meanwhile, she found that everything in her hometown had changed significantly from her memories, becoming hazy and unfamiliar.

One night, in a dazed state between sleep and wakefulness, Shen Zhou awoke in the old house within the abandoned factory, with her grandmother seated beside her. She desperately wished to stop their departure but felt powerless to do so.

The hometown's leaves wither and grow lush, with a slow and enduring shift from yellow to green. Amid the fading colors, loved ones gradually pass away. Childhood is covered up, memories are enveloped, children grow into adults, and the adults grow into elders. The changes brought by the passage of time cannot be stopped; memories may be sealed away, but emotions are hard to fade.

The grandmother in the film is the director's own grandmother, and the town is where the director was born. The film is dedicated to Huaxian County, Weinan City, and to my grandmother.