Island Holiday

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Creative Statement

Xiaolu, in her early thirties, lives a life of working while traveling. When she learns she has a breast tumor, she decides to take her parents on their only, and possibly last, family trip.

Synopsis

Xiaolu, 32, has spent years working and traveling away from home. When she learns she has advanced breast cancer, she decides to invite her parents to join her on her last journey. In winter, the family reunites on the hot island of Hainan for four days. They do not get along well, yet they draw closer to one another. Xiaolu takes her parents climbing a volcano, eating at street food stalls and soaking in hot springs, opening up as much as she can to let them into her life, while her parents just want to stay at the hotel and play mahjong. Midway through the trip the conflict comes to a head and they nearly part ways, but they reconcile while keeping an all-night watch together and witnessing the birth of baby sea turtles. As the trip draws to a close, her father dies suddenly of a heart attack, and only her mother is left for her to say goodbye to.

Subject:

Drama, Family, Women

Director/Screenwriter:

Dai Xiaolu

Producer:

He Bin

Executive Producer:

N/A

Production Company:

N/A

About the Director

Dai Xiaolu (also the screenwriter of this project) was born in Shanghai in 1984 and graduated from the directing department of the Beijing Film Academy in 2007. She was assistant director on Jia Zhangke's documentary I Wish I Knew in 2009 and on young director Song Fang's film The Calming in 2017; segment director and editor on the documentary series The Potala Palace in 2021; her short Island (2022) was selected for Daylight Entertainment's "Photosynthesis Program"; and with her short Sparrow's Tail (2024) she was among the top 10 directors of the "Shanhai Program."

About the Producer

He Bin graduated from the sound department of the Beijing Film Academy in 2007 and worked in film music composition, sound direction and theater sound design. In 2015 he moved into producing, and in 2018 completed his first film as producer, The Crossing, which was selected for the Generation section of the 69th Berlin International Film Festival and won awards including the Fei Mu Award for Best Film at the 2nd Pingyao International Film Festival. It was released in 2019.