QUICK’N DIRTY: LIVE FROM SAN SEBASTIAN
Hong (Zhao Xiaohong) is serving a very long prison stint for murdering her husband and the father of their only child Lele (Wang Junyan). Xianhong plays a fictionalised version of herself, making Her Heart Beats in its Cage a recognisable piece of autofiction. This is the third feature film by Chinese filmmaker Qin Xiaoyu: is a genuine and heartfelt affair, boasting credible and engaging performances.
Our protagonit’s unexpected release – the sentence is reduced due to her devoted singing contribution to the prison’s art workshop – comes as a surprised to ice-cold Lele, who has been raised by his paternal grandmother, and has barely a recollection of his mother. Perhaps unsurprisingly, neither the child nor the elderly lady want him to return to the woman that gave birth to him. At least nana has never told Lele that his mum killed his dad, In addition to her hostile child and in-law, Hong also has to grapple with a society that ostracises former inmates. As a result, she feels just as restrained as she did in the female penitentiary (where she established some strong connections). Despite Hong’s palpable kindness and sensibility, and no-pressure approach to reconnecting with her son, it soon becomes clear that an uphill struggle lies ahead.
With a relatively short duration of just 86 minutes, Her Heart Beats in its Cage borrows from slow and humanistic cinema. The sequences are long and the developments sparse. The conversations are profound and stern. There’s a touch of Tsai Ming-liand or Kenzi Mizoguchi to the pace of the story, and the gently stoical attitude of the characters. DoP Yonghong accentuates the sense of sentimental imprisonment with his quiet and observational camera. Movements are subtle and most of the sequences are filmed indoors. The framing is geometric, hermetically restrained to the walls of the rooms. Hong is allowed most of the film’s runtime, as the director gives the actress and her character the opportunity to redeem themselves.
By refusing to delve into the details of the murder, and refusing to bestow a moral indictment on his actress and character, Qin Xiaoyu creates an empathetic piece of filmmaking. A movie about forgiving yourself and being forgiven. A real exercise of personal liberation. One of the biggest challenges is that this freedom can only be achieved through socio-economic independence.
A job offer in a nearby city could offer Hong financial stability, however the prospect of taking her child along remains a remote and elusive one. Hong repeatedly attempts to break the protective shell inside which Lele was brought up, causing him to become shy and frugal with words. Mother and son eventually agree to face the new life ahead together. A string of new challenges immediately surfaces. Lele has to adapt to a new school, while Hong has to confront the workplace challenges reserved for ex-convicts. Her tragic past is printed on government records as well as on her face. Her often distant gaze suggests that she left a part of her soul and her joie-de-vivre inside the correctional institution. Will she ever have the strength and the will to reclaim those? She knows she will never be a traditional mother, but could she adapt to a fast-changing new world and recoup her entitlement to motherhood in a novel and modern way?
Her Heart Beats in its Cage is in the Official Competition of the 73rd San Sebastian International Film Festival. Zhao Xiaohong was present at the film premiere. Her very timid tears during the public ovation were truly moving. Perhaps more than any scene in the film. The movie reception is an extension of the story. It’s an integral part of Hong/ Xiaohong’s journey towards self-acceptance and emotional healing.
The news of the film release have received a mix reaction in China. That’s because the details of the murder have never been made public, and many believe that it’s to soon for the actress to be given the opportunity to redeem herself.
