Private Project

Undercurrent

Gu Yao, a girl from a southern coastal city, has been living with her parents in this small city since she was born. Gu Yao's parents both had fairly good jobs, and the family lived a simple and uneventful life. In the summer of Gu Yao's 17th, she was rewarded with a cell phone for making progress on her exams. She accidentally spied on her father's secret on her cell phone. Since then, this unsettling and unspoken "secret" has been a part of Gu Yao's upbringing, profoundly affecting her behavior and intimate relationships.

Seven years later, Gu Yao unintentionally discovers a secret on her boyfriend's cell phone, and she has to face her long-standing and haunting nightmare.

  • QINGNAN SHEN
    Director
  • QINGNAN SHEN
    Writer
  • DONGRUI XIONG
    Producer
  • YECHEN ZHAO
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    37 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 4, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    China
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - JINAN University
Director Biography - QINGNAN SHEN

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Director Statement

"Undercurrent" is a family-themed drama short film that adopts a three-part linear narrative. Each narrative focuses on Gu Yao at the ages of 17, 20, and 24, and seeks to record traces of a girl's growth and, most importantly, the trivial pains that she experienced during her upbringing. This movie hopes to evoke empathy in women and the consensus of men. In this case, the underpinnings of the film are realistic and profound. The movie focuses on a significant topic of growth: sex.

From Gu Yao's seven years, the film extracts three events related to her father, mother, and boyfriend, which present the gradual psychological change of the girl, from being exposed to the idea of sex, to being aware of the act of sex, and ultimately to accepting of the truth of sex.

Sex in this movie is not only heterosexual but also about homosexuality among her family and friends. Her mother, Li Liyun, plays an important role in this film in helping Gu Yao grow up, while her best friend from her schoolday, Lin Jiajia, represents friendship between girls. The secret in her father's cell phone may be the fuse, but it is the discomfort in her home and their relationships, as well as having nowhere to express herself, that cause Gu Yao pain. Eventually, the film returns to her mother, who has offered continual support with her words, which enlighten Gu Yao to fully grow into adulthood.