My September = Wo de Jiu Yue

Description: The tricolor red background, yellow text and black calligraphy opening title sequence of My September is set against the the sounds of a children’s choir practicing their scales accompanied by the sounds of a piano and the voice of a teacher, barely discernable amid the music. My September unfolds across pivotal days of that month in the lead up to the Asian Games. The narrative begins by introducing multiple story strands and a high level of activity, enhanced by the use of a mobile camera filming in the labyrinth of laneways that make up this area of Beijing. The film is set at Elm Street School, in the laneways and in the small homes that surround a courtyard where neighbours share a tap and watermelon on hot days. Children rush home after Wushu practice at school, women announce that a birth is imminent (noted by the ritual of boiling water and the reiteration of the myth that boys are usually born before, whilst girls usually arrive after the due date) and a family announce the imminent arrival of a rich grandfather from Taiwan. Impressions of the world are presented through the eyes of children where they are articulated as questions. Qinglai asks why does Grandpa write vertically? His mother tells him that Taiwan uses complex forms of Chinese characters, hinting at the difference between Taiwan and mainland China and their historical relationship.