Dai Ning

The first days of 2020’s lockdown seem to drag forever for a group of tourists trapped in a Thai hotel. In strict confinement and as the big day of an unexpected event approaches, emotional entanglements, tensions and long kept secrets rise to the surface.

Beijing, winter. After studying in the UK, where her parents are living, Zuo Yingning has returned to China to realise her dream of becoming a TV presenter. Initially she becomes a floating worker in the city, and one day gets into an argument with an aggressive young guy, Yang Dachuan, who knocks down her scooter. Taking part in a job-hunting TV show, she's offered the post of a researcher/reporter by one of the judges. (mydramalist.com)

In a strict post-1949 Beijing boarding school, four-year-old Qiang struggles to conform to the rigid disciplinary system. He finds himself unable to earn the coveted little red flowers awarded for daily chores and obedience. The film serves as a poignant allegory for social engineering and the loss of individuality, capturing the rebellion and innocence of childhood against institutional control.

A young courier navigates the sprawling, ever-changing landscape of modern Beijing. Through his daily rounds, he encounters a diverse array of residents, from disillusioned lovers to ambitious newcomers, reflecting the social shifts and emotional alienation of a city in transition. The narrative captures the pulse of urban life, blending personal connections with the search for identity.

After committing a crime of passion as a teenager, Tao Lan is sentenced to nearly two decades in prison. Upon her unexpected release during a New Year's festival, she embarks on a journey home accompanied by a dedicated prison guard. The story focuses on the emotional complexities of her homecoming as she seeks forgiveness and attempts to reconcile with her estranged parents.

A dysfunctional family in Beijing struggles to cope with the alcoholism of the father, a former dancer. The narrative captures the raw tension and emotional toll on his wife and two sons as they navigate cycles of violence, rehabilitation, and despair. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, the story portrays a domestic environment fractured by addiction and the weight of tradition.

An elderly man retires from his job as a building manager and finds new purpose in his passion for Beijing Opera. He organizes an amateur troupe composed of fellow retirees, but their creative endeavors are soon complicated by bureaucratic interference and internal power struggles. The film explores the dignity of aging and the clash between art and authority.