World premiere
Hani
In the deep mountains, 14-year-old Hani plans to marry his 12-year-old bride Pushiha. But love fades.
Because the Chinese government wants to keep the subject of this film hidden, it was shot without permission to avoid censorship. But it’s undeniable that arranged marriages and bride-buying still exist in China's poorer provinces. The filmmakers witnessed these practices first hand, through their own family members. The film’s courageous director remains anonymous to avoid prosecution, while other crew members have used aliases or fled the country to avoid prosecution.
In the film, we follow 14-year-old Hani, who dreams of marrying Pushiha. However, in the village, every bride comes with a hefty price tag. Desperate, Hani looks for ways to raise the money, even if it means selling his scooter. This heartbreaking, real-life Romeo and Juliet story reflects a harsh truth.
Edvinas Pukšta
Hou Dasheng is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter. “Hani” is his first feature film and he is currently preparing his second feature. “Hani” was selected for Goes to Cannes, Marché du Film at the 76th Festival De Cannes, and was also chosen for the WIP section of the 21st Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF), making it one of the five film projects in the HAF Goes to Cannes programme. His feature film script entitled “Sink City” was selected for the 6th HAF Film Lab, where it received the Script Services Award. Sink City was also selected for the IDP section of the 22nd HAF.
Hani (2024)
In cooperation with Embassy of Canada
