Write a short summary of what happens in the film.

This eight-minute moving tale about three generations of women reflects China’s changing societal norms which drove a single mother to become estranged from her own mother, and face the adversity of raising her daughter unconventionally alone. The story concludes with an unexpected, yet heartfelt reunion on Chinese New Year’s Eve. An underlying message that continues to build on Apple’s belief that ‘No matter how far we grow apart, humanity will always reconnect us’.

Cultural / Context information for the jury

Rapid changes in modern China have caused a huge divergence across generations. This moving eight-minute film talks about the adversity faced by three generations of women due to China’s changing social norms. The story concludes with an unexpected, yet heartfelt reunion on Chinese New Year’s Eve, conveying Apple’s unique POV: ‘No matter how far we grow apart, humanity will always reconnect us’.

Tell the jury anything relevant about the cinematography.

The film was shot entirely on iPhone with no external lenses attached. Its tiny size and three lenses enabled us to tell the story from within a taxi seamlessly with simple camera movements and placements. It was shot mostly with natural light, other than the rainy night scenes, to highlight the raw reality of the protagonist. Whereas the daughter’s optimistic world was shot through the ‘magical telescope’ via forced perspective.