At first glance, Dongnan Chen’s “Whispers in May” doesn’t seem to have much of a narrative. A meditative lyrical observational documentary about a 14-year-old Chinese girl living in the remote Liangshan Mountains, it slowly builds up its story. As the camera lingers on the face of the main protagonist Qihuo, and her two best friends Atnyop and Itgop, Chen reveals hidden emotions and untold feelings. These girls are reluctantly growing up and coming into adulthood. The protagonists might be too young, yet their family, surroundings, social pressure and terrain force them on that journey. Chen astutely and compassionately watches them come into their own and allows the audience into this time of their lives.
“Whispers in May” starts with a stunning few minutes of no-dialogue shots. Qihuo is seen running in a field of tall grass, playing computer games, and cooking. With these shots the film establishes its poetic observational mode. The audience is then thrown into Qihuo’s dilemma. Her parents are migrant workers who are miles away trying to earn a living for the family. Her grandfather has just passed. She, at 14, is expected to care for her younger siblings while also going to school. Tense phone calls with her mother ensue where she’s chastised for not doing what she’s supposed to. Her mother passes whatever economic and societal anxiety to her young daughter. The camera lingers on Qihuo’s face and takes in her silent but telling reactions to all this.
But not all of Qihuo’s life is about adult responsibilities. Chen follows her into moments of joy and relaxation. Swimming and flirting with boys in a river stream after school. With her girlfriends as they tease each other. In those scenes an unburdened version of Qihuo is revealed. All of this takes a turn with the film’s main revelation. Qihuo has hit puberty which in her community means she’s ready to work in the factories and even marry. She has kept that to herself for a few weeks. In a poignant scene she tells Atnyop and Itgop. After that the film takes a turn with what the press notes terms as “improvised fiction.” The girls decide to go and look for a traditional skirt for Qihuo to commemorate this rite of passage, as tradition dictates. While this event might have been invented by the filmmakers, the film was made by the filmmakers in collaboration with the protagonists. The situation might have been manipulated but their reactions remain natural even if slightly tentative. The audience never feels that intrusion.
Though, after the “fictional” journey starts the film loses some of its strength. It meanders too much following the protagonists encounter different people and experiences on their journey. Some, like a funeral they watch in which per local custom the dead person is burned with their belongings, force meaningful ruminations and allow the audience to know more about Quicho’s mental state. Others, like a night spent with an older villager, don’t add much and disturb the film’s lyrical rhythm. Perhaps a tighter edit is needed. However the film lands a poignant and lyrical ending that sends the audience out on a note of hope.
“Whispers in May” benefits from a strong point of view and a clear focus on its protagonist, embracing a simple narrative that reveals relatively little in conventional plot terms, yet this restraint ultimately becomes a strength. Carefully edited and quietly playful in perspective, it balances a light touch with the seriousness of its coming-of-age themes. The camera frequently lingers in close-up on faces, patiently observing and capturing fleeting emotions, allowing the character’s inner world to emerge through small gestures and expressions rather than overt storytelling.
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