This in-person screening of STORIES OF THE RETURN (GUI ZHOU 歸舟) will be preceded by the short film, ROOTS THAT REACH TOWARD THE SKY:
After her mother’s traditional Chinese medicine shop is vandalized, a young botanist draws on the resilience of her local community and the healing remedies of her ancestors to contend with her deepest anxieties.
— About STORIES OF THE RETURN (GUI ZHOU 歸舟) —
In search of a deeper connection to her heritage, director Yu Ge travels to Taipei to bring her late mother’s script to life. Two stories intertwine and unfold: one, a period drama set in 1980s Taiwan during the island’s rapid economic boom, following a young woman’s search for her estranged brother; the other, Yu Ge’s present-day journey as she navigates filmmaking with her two surviving aunts and an inquisitive cast. But as the line between film and memory begins to blur, Yu Ge is forced to confront with her gaps in understanding and her unspoken grief—all while she clings to a devastating secret.