Before Fireworks

Director statement:

I was, like hundreds of kids who grew up in my neighborhood, raised by my grandparents. Due to rapid urbanization in China, a significant number of parents leave their children to be raised by their grandparents. As part of Generation Z, I, and many kids in my neighborhood, don’t have siblings due to the one-child policy. This strange, conflicted relationship between grandparents and grandchildren always fascinated me. These are two groups with drastic cultural differences but who somehow manage to understand each other fully. In my film, I not only want to explore this fascinating relationship but also want to explore the inner loneliness of these two marginalized groups. My male protagonist is a rebellious 22-year-old boy named Ziyuan who chooses to run away from his toxic family. My female protagonist is a Chinese grandma named Mei who lives alone. After an attempted robbery, Ziyuan meets Mei and saves her life. They then begin a short journey together, where they receive and give each other unconditional love, like a family. Here, I explore the meaning of “family” and raise my concerns about the mental health of empty nesters and left-behind children.