Whispers In May
A coming-of-age film from rural China
In a mountain village in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in China’s Sichuan province, 14-year-old Qihuo stands on the threshold of adulthood. A few months ago, she had her first period, which according to local custom means she is old enough to get a job and be married off. Since her parents live and work far away, it falls to Quihou and her friends of the same age, Atnyop and Itgop, to arrange the traditional skirt-changing ceremony marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. To find a suitable skirt, the girls set off on a road trip they will never forget.
In her new film, director Dongnan Chen blends traditional observational documentary with improvised acting and atmospheric, dreamlike sequences. WHISPERS IN MAY is a delicate and charming coming-of-age film from rural China, where the fictional elements give us even greater insight into Qihuo and her friends’ experience of their final days as children. This beautifully shot hybrid film premiered at CPH:DOX, where it earned praise from international critics and won the Audience Award and the FIPRESCI Award.
Runtime: 1 hour 35 min. Age limit: TBC. 2D, ZH, English subtitles, Film fra Sør, unassigned seating, English subtitles. Screen 3, Vika, Ruseløkkveien 14, 0251 Oslo. 2026-11-12, 16:15–17:50.
