A little girl finds a way to connect to her late grandmother. | Short Film "Kintsugi"
Published 2022-01-06
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The world’s best short films from OSCAR® & BAFTA qualifying film festivals.
Short Film: Kintsugi
Written & Directed by: Jiayuan Liu
Produced by: Ryan Michael Connolly, Rachel Boyajian
Cast: Megan Liu, Juston Graber, Hana Wu, Xianlin Shan
A little girl finds an unexpected way to connect to the memory of her late grandmother, with the help of a mysterious friend.
Siyue, a young girl finds herself strongly attached to her late grandmother with whom she
shares one of the biggest gifts; a handmade legacy she’ll learn and inherit. The
delicate ceramic craft she learns, while spending heartwarming instants with her grandma, is
broken off by her sudden death. Amongst everything left in her house, Siyue
keeps the Xun, the vessel flute, the material connection left, the last artifact she taught and
confectioned for her granddaughter. At granny’s home, Siyue faces strange, moving moments
when returning to her old, rusty but hearty workshop, recalling her cozy memories from the
past and connecting them to the present, lonely studio.
Unexpectedly, she encounters a curious creature sneaking around the workshop. After
overcoming the sudden jump scare, Siyue builds a wholesome friendship with her fellow, until, by accident, he breaks the girl’s flute. Disappointed and heavy-hearted, Siyue, with some help
from the bizarre creature, tries to fix the Xun while she resembles her grandma’s footsteps from
the past, in a sweet and nostalgic way, just to find out her beloved flute is not going to work as
before. Now she needs a little additional help from her mysterious friend, traveling to her
deepest and most touching memories while she understands better her feelings and overcomes
them by having new, amusing experiences.
Kintsugi is a 15-minute short story that will embrace anyone having a deep, transcending
relationship with a beloved, departed one. Her encounter with the mystical creature is just a
reflection of her younger, joyful, lighthearted self from the past. Now, we see how Siyue is still
learning, tried her best at fixing, and failed. We see how she’s growing up and now full of hope
and acceptance she can enfold this part of life without losing her grandma’s wonderful
connection.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
I have always believed in the power of imagination; how it can be shaped into action and make this world a better place. My family and I planned to celebrate my grandfather’s 80th birthday with him in the Chinese countryside. He passed away very suddenly, shortly before the celebration. I never got the chance to say goodbye to him. Kintsugi is a tribute to my grandfather. I believe the people we have loved in our lives never truly leave us; they continue to live on in our hearts and our memories. With Kintsugi, I want to tell a story of loss and change but also of hope and acceptance. I want to share this elegy through the innocence and wonderment of a young girl, Siyue, and the dynamism of film.
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Note - Short film used with permission from filmmaker.
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