The 29th Singapore International Film Festival, running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 9, will feature 103 films, and six of them are from the Chinese mainland. 

The film's four protagonists lives in a city in northern China suffering from a post-industrial recession, and are connected by their fascination with elephants. All four have questionable lives: one witnessed his best friend's suicide, a boy trying to escape from abuse both at home and school, a girl who has an affair with her vice principal at school, and an old man resigned to living in a nursing home.   

The film premiered at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival. Hu Bo, the director and screenwriter, took his own life in 2017.

The film directed by one of China's top directors, Jia Zhangke, consists of three chapters. Qiao, a strong-minded woman saves the life of her boyfriend Bin, who is a small-time gangster, and lands herself in prison for five years. After her release, she wants to start her life over with Bin, only to find out he and the world around her have changed.

The film got 7.7 points out of 10 on Douban, a Rotten Tomatoes-like website in China. 

The film shot on 35mm film stock shows how a man's character unfolds as three women greatly impact his life.

The director, Ho Wi Ding, graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His feature “Pinoy Sunday” won him the title of Best New Director at the Gold Horse Awards.

The other Chinese films – “First Night Nerves,” “Marta Ray” and “Three Adventures of Brooke” – will also light up the silver screen.

The Singapore International Film Festival was launched in 1987 to provide local audiences a platform to watch independent films. More than three decades later, it has developed into an internationally recognized event to promote Asian filmmakers. ‍