San San
San San
Director ZHOU Chengzhou
Producer LI Yujun
Main person SHAMA Wusan, SHAMA Wuniu, WANG Ying, SHAMA Jiaqiang, SHAMA Wujia
Cinematographer/Editor ZHOU Chengzhou
Runtime: 24m 57s
IMDb:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt38349185
Director Statement
In this documentary, the central recurring image is a dead pig drifting along a flowing river. In Chinese culture, pigs symbolize wealth; a dead pig, rotting on the water’s surface, evokes the loss of once-cherished wealth, faith, and hope. Though her father’s love has faded into the past, the water continues to flow—embodying the resilience of life, the passage of time, and an unstoppable vitality. Like the river itself, the little girl carries on with an unyielding, vibrant spirit.
The film follows a young Yi ethnic girl and her friends in Xide County, a remote mountainous area in western Sichuan. In the post-pandemic era, their world has not stood still. Above the ground, the water veins still run; life continues to search for a way forward.
Through the girls’ daily games, moments of confusion, and shared dreams, we witness a small yet unyielding force of life. The dead pig will inevitably decay, but the water — gentle yet steadfast — never stops flowing.
This is a story about loss and continuation, and a record of how children in the marginalized mountain regions of China continue to grow.