The Nightingale
2013
An elderly widower travels across China with his spoiled, city-raised granddaughter to fulfill a promise to his late wife, growing closer to her with every mile of the journey.
Cast
Li Baotian, Yang Xinyi, Hao Qin
Where to Watch
Directed by French filmmaker Philippe Muyl from a screenplay he co-wrote with Ning Ning, this Mandarin-language Chinese-French co-production stars Li Baotian as Zhu Zhi Gen, an elderly widower honoring a promise made to his late wife by traveling across China to release a caged nightingale in the village where she grew up. Joining him is his granddaughter Ren Xing (Yang Xinyi), whose spoiled, big-city upbringing puts her at odds with her weathered, rural-raised grandfather — until the two grow closer over the course of their journey and discover values neither had considered before.
Submitted by China for Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards, The Nightingale found acclaim elsewhere: a Jury Award for Best Picture and a Best Actor win for Li Baotian at the 2014 China Australia International Film Festival, a repeat Best Actor honor at the Minsk International Film Festival and the Shanghai International Film Festival, and an Audience Choice Award at the RiverRun International Film Festival.