Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth’s cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive.

The Garden Cinema view:

Censored in Mainland China, Return To Dust portrays the hardships of farmers in contemporary China, a part of society that has been overlooked in both life and cinema. Despite its slow rhythm, Return To Dust is moving and authentic, which makes it a rewarding watch. With an eye for high quality international releases, The Garden Cinema is happy to offer it in its schedule.

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Dr Kiki Tianqi Yu:

"After receiving an MPhil in social political science at Cambridge University, Kiki pursued her doctorate research on documentary film and personal cinema with a focus on China at CREAM, Westminster University. Examining how philosophies in non-western cultures and approaches in other disciplines enhance our understanding of global cinema, her researches, in theory and practice, are often interdisciplinary and echo the ethos of decolonising film studies.

Kiki is currently working on a new research project “Daoism on Film: Aesthetics and Practices of Anthropocosmic Cinema”, and she’s also ‘screen-writing’ her essay film The Kindness of Women."

Cast:
Wu Renlin, Hai Qing, Yang Guangrui, Wu Yunzhi