The residents of a nursing home sneak past security guards to compete in a nationally televised talent contest.
Acting
Non-professional seniors; raw, lived-in performances.
Direction
Zhang Yang's documentary-trained eye for authentic moments.
Writing
Balances slapstick escape with crushing loneliness.
Director
Zhang Yang
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Zhang Yang cast actual nursing home residents; several had never acted before. Wu Tianming, who played Lao Zhou, was a legendary filmmaker himself.
The film quietly critiques China's one-child policy legacy: elderly abandoned by children who moved to cities. The talent show represents state media's hollow gesture toward 'honoring' elders.
CN
