Qi Ai

The Botanist

In a remote village in Xinjiang, a young Kazakh boy named Arsin, who finds solace in the company of plants. He soon meets Meiyu, a spirited Han girl whose unpredictable nature reminds him of a rare, otherworldly plant. As their friendship blossoms, it deepens into a delicate, dreamlike allegory that blurs the lines between reality and the enchanting world of botany.

The Fruit

A young couple live in a small apartment in the city. He earns little and she’s pregnant. Through their brief exchanges and moments of solitude, it becomes clear that their relationship has, without realising, edged towards crisis point.

Absence

After ten years in prison, Han Jiangyu returns to Hainan Island. Housing construction is booming, his childhood friend is now rich. Searching for traces of the familiar, Jiangyu meets his old love who now has a daughter.