Intimate Chinese Family Drama Goes Global

Vee Shi's debut feature film, "Time and Tide," has been picked up for international sales by Paris-based Inwave Films. The film world premiered in competition at Visions du Réel earlier this year, marking a significant step for Shi's career.

Set in a remote Chinese town, "Time and Tide" intimately follows a family's struggle after the patriarch suffers a stroke. His estranged wife and their second daughter are left to manage his care, navigating a challenging domestic situation and financial strain.

The film draws on Shi's personal family history to explore themes of aging, domestic violence, and the weight of intergenerational duty in contemporary China. It blends observational filmmaking with a formally inventive style.

Following its debut at Visions du Réel, "Time and Tide" received the Documentary Australia award at the Sydney Film Festival. It is scheduled to screen next at the Melbourne International Film Festival, continuing its festival run.

Inwave Films described the movie as a raw and deeply intimate hybrid nonfiction work, transforming a family crisis into a broader reflection on care and responsibility. They highlighted its honesty, inventive form, and courageous emotional openness.

Shi expressed a desire for a sales agent who understood both the film's audience and the international market, emphasizing collaboration on strategy. He noted that Inwave Films met these criteria, supporting his intimate yet universally resonant story.

This deal expands Inwave Films' documentary slate, which also includes Ralitza Petrova's "Lust." "Time and Tide" is produced by Nicholson Ren and Vee Shi for Niu Studios, in association with Big and Little Films.