A Year Apart

This film revolves around the life of a widowed, retired woman living alone. It doesn't rely on dramatic twists or intense emotions, but rather presents slices of everyday life and a non-religious statue of Guan Gong. As the most important people and events in her life gradually disappear, she finds herself in self-imposed exile. It's not until she rediscovers herself that this uncharted period of her life, marked by the disappearance of the Guan Gong statue, comes to an end.

The film draws inspiration from my own mother's life, while also reflecting aspects of my own experiences. Like many East Asian women, my mother transitioned from being a daughter to a wife and then a mother, moving from one family to another. The theme of her life revolved around her father, husband, son, and even the Guan Gong statue. It's only in her later years that she finally found her own space and experienced the belated sense of freedom. This newfound freedom was so unfamiliar that it caught her off guard. Embracing a new life centered on her own needs, with a mix of guilt and sorrow, she finally allowed a glimmer of suppressed self to grow.

Regrettably, it was only in my mother's later years that I saw her true self emerge. Her vitality, strength, and courage inspired my creative work.