Carefree Days

122 minutes | 2023 | Fiction | Mandarin | English and Chinese Subtitles

Canadian Premiere

Content Advisory: This film contains scenes of tobacco use.

In a storm of fate, XU Lingling (LYU Xingchen) develops uremia, and her mother (Ailiya) unexpectedly passes away. Her neglectful father (LI Congxi) returns to her side, but they are no more than blood-tied strangers. Her best friend TAN Na (LI Xueqin) and old classmate ZHAO Dongyang (ZHAO Bingrui) become her anchors, and the three embark on a journey to Shanhaiguan, where both her life and Northeast China stand boundless and intertwined.

LIANG Ming was born in Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province, China in 1984. Trained as an actor, he starred in several award-winning films including LOU Ye’s Spring Fever (2009 Cannes) and ZHAO Dayong’s Shadow Days (2014 Berlinale). He later turned his interests into directing, and worked as assistant director on LOU Ye’s Mystery (2012 Cannes). His debut feature Wisdom Tooth premiered at the 3rd Pingyao International Film Festival in 2019, and was selected for the 49th IFFR. Carefree Days is his sophomore feature and premiered at the 71st San Sebastian.