US Premiere
When a demolition crew uncovers human remains sealed up in a wall, Inspector Han struggles to stay objective about the case. The dilapidated building was his primary school, and the ten year-old homicide stirs up memories that he has worked hard to forget.
Li Qingcao is a single mother determined to find a school for her daughter in the city where she earns a living–a life she never had with her own parents. But regulations and bureaucracy are firmly stacked against Qingcoa. As it turns out, Qingcao and Inspector Han have a shared history and a shared secret. Pulling back the veil of China’s “leftover children” (kids left in the care of others while their parents find work elsewhere), director Guo Dalu weaves together a slow-burn thriller with a sharp political commentary.
Content advisory: violence, themes of abuse