A Poem in A Scorching Summer
On a scorching summer, when everyone in the village had fallen asleep, 5-year-old Leilei went to find Grandma Mu to listen to folk stories. Her favorite was the tale of the red-dressed ghost. One afternoon, she accidentally fell asleep and, upon waking, went to look for her mother. She then heard sorrowful crying from a neighbor's house and, for the first time, Leilei felt the fear of death. Not long after, Grandma Mu died by suicide, and Leilei learned to face death through her pain and reluctance.
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Shimeng TangWriterA Sunny Autumn, Shimeng, La maison des ruines
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Project Type:Screenplay, Short Script
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Genres:Drama
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Number of Pages:16
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Language:Chinese
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First-time Screenwriter:No
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
Tang Shimeng, as both a director and a screenwriter, is deeply influenced by the Japanese film master Akira Kurosawa’s belief that ‘if you want to be a director, go write scripts.’ She has never stopped writing.
In 2021, she completed her original short film script “A Sunny Autumn” and finished both the shooting and post-production.
In October 2025, she completed her second short film - her first French language film shot in France - “La maison des ruines”, which won the Best Plot prize at the Chambal International Film Festival 2026.
Meanwhile, she has completed another two short film script “The Color of 24 Hours” and “A poem in a scorching summer”, as well as one feature-length script “shut up, listen to the birds”.
When did you know what death is for the first time? How did it feel?
As we grow up, beyond the love of our parents and family, is there a kind of love that transcends blood ties?
In this film, Leilei and Grandma Mu spent each afternoon in each other’s company, until death quietly parted them.
Through Mu’s passing, Leilei found the strength to face her fear of death.
Mu's pure love and what her death taught Leilei formed a beautiful poem in her heart.
Perhaps it's a memory that once died in my mind and was reborn again.
