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The River that Holds Our Hands 擁啊擁

La Direction de l’image et du son de l’EHESS et le Centre d’études sur la Chine moderne et contemporaine (CECMC), en partenariat avec le Festival Allers-Retours-Cinéma d’auteur sinophone contemporain, vous invitent à une projection spéciale du film : “The River that Holds Our Hands 擁啊擁” de Chen Jianhang (2025 / 85’ / teochew (chaoshan), mandarin, cantonais, vietnamien / version originale, sous-titrée en français / fiction).

Mêlant documentaire et fiction, une méditation poétique sur la mémoire, la migration et les traumatismes intergénérationnels au sein de la diaspora Teochew. Se déroulant entre l’Asie du Sud-Est et le sud de la Chine, le film retrace, en superposant images et paysages sonores, le parcours en miettes de Lam Po Wah, une femme marquée par de multiples déplacements, du Cambodge déchiré par la guerre à Puning en pleine Révolution culturelle. Avec son style lyrique et intuitif, Chen Jianhang s’affirme comme une voix unique dans le cinéma contemporain de la diaspora.

La projection sera suivie d’un débat avec le réalisateur (en visio) et d’un pot pour célébrer le Nouvel an chinois.

Inscription à cette adresse, souhaitée avant le 30 janvier 2025 : https://form.jotform.com/260043946340351

Synopsis

In Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, elderly Lam Po Wah dreams of returning to scenes from her childhood photos; in Saigon, Vietnam, a documentarian, Ah Wei, holding a 70-year-old family photo, embarks on a journey of exploration. The filmmaker is deeply moved by the stories of the Teochew diaspora, who have faced numerous challenges abroad while yearning for their distant relatives.In Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, elderly Lam Po Wah dreams of returning to scenes from her childhood photos; in Saigon, Vietnam, a documentarian, Ah Wei, holding a 70-year-old family photo, embarks on a journey of exploration. The filmmaker is deeply moved by the stories of the Teochew diaspora, who have faced numerous challenges abroad while yearning for their distant relatives.However, the once-familiar Saigon has been transformed by the ravages of war, making his quest increasingly difficult. Just as hope seems to wane, an unexpected encounter breathes new life into his journey.As he meanders through the rich tapestry of Saigon’s history, the filmmaker is drawn into the conversations and landscapes of Teochew, China, as recounted by Po Wah. Memories intertwine with a gentle Teochew lullaby that echoes the elusive dreams of home, drawing Wei into a dreamlike state where present and past, reality and memory, are inseparable.

Chen Jianhang

CHEN Jianhang is a cross-cultural filmmaker and graduate of an experimental film program in the UK. His practice navigates themes of diasporic identity, transcultural ethnography, and humanity’s complex relationship with natural environments. By blending documentary sensibilities with fictional frameworks, his works employ improvisational techniques to interrogate narratives surrounding the Teochew communities across oceanic borders.

Chen’s recent accolades include his feature debut The River that Holds Our Hands (2025), which earned the Asian New Director Award at Eye Catcher Global. An alumnus of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s IFFR Sessions (2020), he was selected for Talents Tokyo 2025 — where his WIP documentary Square Horizons — A House Across Borders received a Special Mention.
These recognitions underscore his commitment to developing a hybrid cinematic language at the intersection of observational realism and poetic reimagining. 

▶ Festival Allers retours : https://www.allersretoursasso.fr/
▶ Trailer du film : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0eLnAaZp-4

Galerie d’images

 


OpenEdition vous propose de citer ce billet de la manière suivante :
Monique Abud (9 janvier 2026). The River that Holds Our Hands 擁啊擁. Carnets du Centre Chine (CNRS/EHESS). Consulté le 15 janvier 2026 à l’adresse https://doi.org/10.58079/15h2i


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