Left to live with her aunt (Beibi Gong) in Wuhan while her newlywed mother (also played by Gong) builds a new home in Shanghai, Guo (Tian Huang) lives an invisible life of someone who matters little to nothing to those in unwilling care of her. She is merely a presence and often a nuisance for no other reason than speaking or reacting. Not that her reactions are big – Guo is quiet, shy, and scared of life in this new, unwelcoming environment. But the space the now family of four is inhabiting is tight, and so is the budget, which Guo is reminded of on number of occasions.
Summer Blur is screening on Berlinale
Writer/ director Han Shuai puts a heavy weight on her heroine's shoulders. Broken by her mother's irresponsible decisions and by the lack of love in her aunt's house, she is also in a very sensitive phase of growth. The moment she starts becoming aware of her gender, she has to face a form of harassment no one really is prepared to deal with regardless the age. It's an unpleasant echo of something that, scaringly, many women have experienced in the puberty – a mixture of shame, disgust, self-loathing, and helplessness.
Outcast in school, unloved at her temporary home, and stalked by a creepy boy of her own age, the girl's only moment of so-called affection are phone- or video calls by her mum who occasionally seems to be forgetting that children usually sleep at 4am.
Summer Blur is coloured by Han Shuai's empathetic identification with Guo, whom she empowers to attempt to repair wounds she had suffered as a result of the chain of circumstances. First-time actress Tian Huang impresses with her portrayal of the emotionally tortured, intelligent teenager with sharp instincts. Filmed by a hand-held camera, the film mimics the restless spirit of an alert teenager that is incessantly challenged by the state of affairs.
Guo's summer holidays begin with a tragic event she has to witness when her unlikely new friend, tough boy Xioman (Luo Xingyue) drowns in the river while trying to rescue a plane he previously gave her as a present. That specific moment is hidden from our eyes by the camera following Guo's gaze to the sky. The absence is pressing, the desperation palpable. What is left is guilt. Not saving Xioman or calling for help. As if this weren't enough, she gets emotionally blackmailed into a friendship with Zhao (Zhang Xinyuan), her stalker, who observed the incident from his hiding.
Towards the end of the film, cause triggers solution, and the girl hits back at her harasser with same methods. At the same time, Han points out at the obscurity of gender discord. The transformation both children are going through is finely layered and attentive, and the world of adults is not black and white either.
Han Shuai's debut feature film had a word premiere at PYIFF where it scooped the Feimu Jury Award. After competing in Busan's New Current's competition to critical acclaim, “Summer Blur” has finally arrived in Europe, screening in the Generation Program of Berlinale.
