To many, immigration, especially nowadays with so many people trying to escape war, hunger and persecution, is closely linked to the idea of finding a new home, starting a new life. In the era of globalization the idea of regarding the whole world as your home may sound almost romantic, but then again the reality is somewhat different, hidden behind the veil or politics, economics and, perhaps even more significantly, tradition and (self-)expectation. Many of these themes define the lives of people like Chinese-Canadian director Xiaodan He and have made their way into her debut feature “A Touch of Spring”, especially the feeling of being a stranger (or rather becoming one) in her home country, because she has been away so long, while also still seen as a stranger in Canada.

“A Touch of Spring” is screening at Asian Pop-up Cinema

After ten years of living in Canada, Li Fang (Wensi Yan) decides to visit her family in Dazu, China. However, seeing her family again is not the only reason for the ugly separation, which, along with the divorce from her husband, have exhausted her physically and emotionally so that she is in search of support from her family. Shortly after her arrival, during a family gathering, she finds out about the situation of some of her family members, especially her cousin who has become the family’s black sheep due to her inconsistent way of living. Through the comfort of her cousin’s daughter and the conversations with a former lover, she slowly finds the strength to confront the issues that lie ahead of her.

Even though you can watch “A Touch of Spring” as a movie about cultural differences, Xiaodan He’s debut works best as a tale about varying definitions of what constitutes family and the role of women. At the same time, He makes a lot of comments with regards to the idea of culture being something detached from the main character, considering she has been absent for such a long time and even the locals, for example, the taxi driver bringing her to her grandfather’s apartment, take her for a “tourist”. On many occasions, Glauco Bermudez’s camera highlights the notion of estrangement, isolation as well as the growing sadness within Fang, who feels like she does not belong to either culture.

At the same time, Xiaodan He’s script emphasizes the image of being a “success” within a certain concept of womanhood. As the central character, Wensi Yan gives a marvelous performance as a woman who has grown tired of pleasing everyone, her own expectations and those of others. While she expresses the idea of living so “light and free”, she feels like a lost cause in the eyes of some of other family members who comment on her taking such a long time when it comes to having children. It is only in the company of her former lover that she is finally able to admit the grim truth of feeling like a “passenger” in her life.

In the end, “A Touch of Spring” is a drama about new beginnings touching upon issues such as culture, gender and family. Xiaodan He’s down-to-earth approach to the subject make her story quite relatable and touching, which is, to no small amount, also because of the great performances of her cast.