“Heading South” Photo Courtesy of IMDB
Student Yuan Yuan’s Second Year Film, Heading South, won Best Student Short at this year’s Aspen Shorts Fest.
Heading South, based on Yuan’s own childhood experience, follows Mongolian Girl Tuya as she travels from her home on the grasslands to visit her father who lives in the city. However, during her father’s birthday party, she finds out he just got married to a Chinese woman, Lin. Tuya has no choice but to accept Lin as part of the family.
The jury’s statement: “The director delivers a very personal film inspired by her own childhood. We follow the young heroine through a night that compels her to consider the culture of her mother and cope with new choices by her father that she must face to gain her freedom. This film of great mastery is made even more touching by its strong characters — a beautiful discovery!”
Find a full list of winners here.