© filmstill Whispers in May
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Female Lens
Berlin Premiere
Whispers in May
Dongnan Chen / Hong Kong, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden / 2026 / 95 min
In the remote Liangshan Mountains of China, 14-year-old Qihuo sets out with her friends in search of a traditional skirt that marks her transition into adulthood. This simple, common journey unfolds into a poetic coming-of-age story about friendship, cultural expectations, and the tension between childhood and growing up. In a world shaped by poverty, where many are forced to take on responsibility too early, Qihuo clings to the freedom of youth, trying to delay the inevitable just a little longer.
Q&A
02.06. /
IL KINO
Dongnan Chen
Director
Dongnan Chen crafts films that turn lived experience into cinematic fables, exploring transitional identities and the in-between spaces of reality and the imagined. Her works include 14 Paintings (Sundance, IDFA, MOMA Doc Fortnight), Singing in the Wilderness (IFFR, New Directors/New Films), Sound of Vision (Emmy-nominated), and The Trail from Xinjiang. Whispers in May, her second feature, premieres in CPH:DOX's DOX:AWARD 2026.
Chenlu Ni
Moderator
Chenlu Ni is a filmmaker, composer, and researcher working across media and visual culture. His current research focuses on Thai queer media in Europe and the transnational circulation of intimacy, desire, and online fandoms. His short film Berlin, Alexanderplatz was screened at FIRST International Film Festival Xining.
Q&A
05.06. /
Sputnik Kino
Dongnan Chen
Director
Dongnan Chen crafts films that turn lived experience into cinematic fables, exploring transitional identities and the in-between spaces of reality and the imagined. Her works include 14 Paintings (Sundance, IDFA, MOMA Doc Fortnight), Singing in the Wilderness (IFFR, New Directors/New Films), Sound of Vision (Emmy-nominated), and The Trail from Xinjiang. Whispers in May, her second feature, premieres in CPH:DOX's DOX:AWARD 2026.
Chenlu Ni
Moderator
Chenlu Ni is a filmmaker, composer, and researcher working across media and visual culture. His current research focuses on Thai queer media in Europe and the transnational circulation of intimacy, desire, and online fandoms. His short film Berlin, Alexanderplatz was screened at FIRST International Film Festival Xining.
Trailer
Credits
| Year | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Production Countries | Hong Kong, Netherlands, South Korea, Sweden |
| Runtime | 95 min |
| FSK | Not rated |
| Language | Nuosu |
| Subtitle | English |
| Premiere Status | Berlin Premiere |
| Director | Dongnan Chen |
|---|---|
| Producers | Jia Zhao, Kay Xu |
