Synopsis
How should I love you, my child? This story is a mother’s agonizing journey of parenting. Wu Jun, a mother in her 50s, has been in emotional turbulence for over a decade. In 2004, Quanquan, her then-16-year-old daughter, suddenly jumped to her death. Unexpectedly, Quanquan’s last words had nothing to do with her parents. The mother was filled with agony and bewilderment, questioing what she had done wrong, and her beloved husband, unable to bear the weight of the loss, moved away from Hangzhou. To start anew, Wu raised another girl, Tingting. Amid intense education competition, she racks her brains to pave the way for Tingting’s better future. However, the girl became rather difficult after entering puberty. Why is parent-child relationship so challenging? How should a mother face her own life? By the beautiful West Lake, Wu starts to read her late daughter’s favorite fable, ROOSTER THE GOLDEN COMB – Fate is as cunning as the fox in the story…
Yu Hongmiao
Yu Hongmiao is an independent documentary film director and producer. Before directing her debut feature-length documentary ROOSTER THE GOLDEN COMB, she has been in the fields of news and documentary for over 20 years. During her time at the News Program Center of China Central Television from 2000 to 2014, Yu has dedicated herself to news reporting and was later appointed as the rotating editor-in-chief of Oriental Horizon, a renowned news magazine TV show in China. In 2015, Yu joined Youku as the head of the Information Center, responsible for the production of non-fiction content. Since 2018, Yu has established her own studio, producing documentary series and video programs for TV stations and Internet platforms. As a director, her works include online documentary series ON THE ROAD and THE MEET, CCTV's short social and medical documentary Top-End Medical Technology and documentary series DID YOU HEAR ME? Additionally, Yu is also the producer of the widely acclaimed feature documentary STILL TOMORROW and historical documentary series THE FLAVOR OF HISTORY.
Director's statement
I came to know Wu Jun, our protagonist, whilst filming a cultural event where she read in tears a fairy tale dedicated to her late daughter. What kind of mother is she? I began to explore her life story. The deeper I delved, the more I realized that Wu’s exploration of parenting and her experiences of confusion, pain and growth provide insights into the dilemma facing Chinese mothers today. Love with excessive attention becomes a boulder, and mothers and children are forced to embark on an unending, arduous and futile journey as Sisyphus does in Greek mythology. How should a mother love? This is something that needs to be put under the spotlight. As the filming proceeded, Wu found herself more relieved each time she spoke in front of the camera. For her, the camera became a patient listener, witnessing her healing and growth. I sincerely hope that this story, as Wu Jun intended, can lend a helping hand to those who are facing the dilemma of motherhood.
