"There are a lot of such elderly women like my character in China's megacities: the director Luo Dong speaks about the film May
The Chinese director Luo Dong presented the film May participating in the Documentary Film Competition of 46thMoscow International Film Festival.
The main character of the film, the 70-year-old May, having experienced two failed marriages, gets dissatisfied with her life. She traverses Shanghai every day, searching for love and a potential partner who could accompany her in the remaining years. During the day she is trying to navigate the extensive transport network of the city and returns to her rented house in the outskirts at night. The gatherings and rendez-vous with elderly companions help May meet diverse personalities and listen to their exciting stories.
Luo Dong: "There are a lot of such elderly women in China's major cities. They are my parents' peers and we can call them the age-mates of the new China, the age-mates of the revolution of 1949. They grew and matured with our state, having gone all the way from school to retirement. We usually believe that people at this age do not pay attention to their personal life thinking more of health, retirement, and other practical matters, but it turns out to be different. We are living in the age of information, the Internet, which helps us be in touch with other people using many channels. And our character is a real extrovert. One might think she always complains, grumbles, but it is just the way she is. In China we refer to these people that they have a sharp tongue, but their heart is as soft as tofu".