Talking about our relatives often fills us with comfort and gratitude. To us, relatives represent more than just familial ties; they are our connection to deep emotions, always a part of us, woven into the fabric of our hearts. Yet, familial love encompasses both joy and sadness, warmth and pain. The departure of beloved relatives, while painful, fosters growth within us. In 2023, Han Wang , a cinematographer and filmmaker, captured this nuanced journey through the film “Fall to Blossom.” This 11-minute narrative beautifully illustrates a young girl’s gradual maturation, nurtured by the intricate dynamics of family bonds. Despite its brief duration, “Fall to Blossom” garnered significant acclaim, securing the Best Cinematography award at the New York International Film Awards 2023.
The film centers on the story of Xiaoyu, a young girl grappling with her grandmother’s passing. Initially, Xiaoyu’s innocence and unawareness are evident as she faces this loss, but she gradually gains a profound understanding of her grandmother’s departure, transitioning from reluctance to acceptance. The movie opens with Xiaoyu holding a white lily of the valley flower, following her parents to her grandmother’s funeral. While her father and others mourn deeply, Xiaoyu appears bewildered, prompting frustration from her father over her seeming indifference. As her grandmother’s room is cleared, Xiaoyu begins to acknowledge the reality of her loss. In the days that follow, her mother’s preoccupation with the news, her aversion to carrots, and her parents’ frequent arguments all underscore the absence of her caring grandmother. In her grandmother’s room, Xiaoyu reflects on memories and her grandmother’s words, finding comfort and resolution as she buries the lily of the valley—her grandmother’s favorite flower—under a tree in the park.
This 11-minute short film poses a significant challenge for the cinematographer to effectively capture and portray the actors and scenes. Initially, Han Wang directs his lens toward a pot of blooming lily of the valley in the girl’s hands, highlighting its significance. This choice not only emphasizes the importance of the flowers but also guides the audience to connect with the film’s title. Subsequently, the camera slowly pans to reveal crying adults and black-and-white photos, suggesting the setting of an elderly man’s funeral. Han Wang then shifts focus to the girl holding the flower pot, using the camera to introduce her as the film’s protagonist to the audience.
As the funeral concluded and the girl returned home with her parents, she got ready for bed after overhearing an argument between her parents about her. In this moment, Han Wang uses the camera to capture the girl’s gaze on the blooming lily of the valley before bedtime, reinforcing the profound connection between the flowers, the little girl, and her grandmother. Another significant scene in the film occurs during a family dinner. Wang captures the carrots on the girl’s plate and her disapproving look towards them. This shot cleverly foreshadows the following scene, where the girl reminisces about her grandmother helping her overcome her picky eating habits.
The film’s concluding minutes capture the girl’s last memories of her grandmother, culminating in a scene where she visits a small park with a flowerpot in hand. Reflecting on her grandmother’s memory, Han Wang once again zooms in on the lily of the valley at the edge of the windowsill. The camera then shifts to the girl in the park, clutching the flowerpot. Notably, the lily of the valley, previously in full bloom, is now withered within the frame. Through these close-up shots, Han Wang poignantly conveys the film’s central theme to the audience, echoing the grandmother’s words remembered by the girl: “There is always a time when flowers bloom and flowers fall.” The film gracefully concludes with the girl burying the withered lily of the valley under a large tree.
In this film, Han Wang masterfully utilizes lenses and cinematographic techniques to vividly convey the journey of a girl navigating through complex emotions, transitioning from ignorance to overwhelm, and ultimately to relief. Although the movie does not explicitly delineate the relationship between the lily of the valley, the girl, and her grandmother, Han Wang adeptly uses his camera to subtly underscore the significance of this particular flower to the audience. From the flower’s bloom to its eventual wilt, the camera skillfully communicates that the depiction of the lily of the valley’s lifecycle is more than a mere portrayal of flowers blooming and fading. It is, instead, a moving narrative of a girl’s maturation in the wake of her loved ones’ departure.
