North American Premiere
Zhuo Bian’s elegiac film stars Li Zhenping as Xie Shuwen, an elderly widower trying to find some measure of peace in life. What’s holding him back? A strained romance, bad lungs, tension with his grown children, and the general malaise of old age. Xie’s story begins one year after his wife’s passing, at a family dinner where anger erupts and grievances are aired. There’s no shortage of discontent in the Shuwen family: Xie’s daughters shame him for wanting to move in with a woman, their own marriages are shot through with strife, and his grandsons are failing in school. Topping it off is Xie’s emotional blockage — his defense against harsh memories and fears about the future.
As the Water Flows is a film rich in psychology, wistful in tone, and graceful in its direction. Zhuo handles his cast excellently, bringing out performances that match his subtle characterization. For all its sad moments, this is ultimately a life-affirming work — bittersweet, but celebratory.
Li Zhenping, Wang Juan, Li Hongmei, Liu Lei, Li Keer, Fu Bin, Zu Shangbinhao
China
2025
In Mandarin with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Zhang Jie, Guan Nan, Wang Zixuan
Screenwriter
Zhuo Bian
Cinematography
Zhu Jie, Wang Zixuan
Editor
Zhuo Bian
Production Design
Huang Jin
Original Music
Epson Wu, Shang Xintong
Zhuo Bian 卞灼
Formerly known as Wang Zixuan, Zhuo Bian holds an MFA in cinematography from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He returned to China in 2017, where has has worked as director of photography on several independent films. Transitioning away from his nomadic life in Beijing, he now resides in Yunnan, drawing creative nourishment from his hometown. As The Water Flows (2025) is his debut as a feature film director — a project in which he also served as screenwriter, director of photography, editor, and producer.
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Amrum
Twelve-year-old Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck) sets himself a mission to secure bread and honey for his mother to snap her out of her depression. It is 1945. The war is all but lost, and such luxuries are not easy to find on the remote island of Amrum...
The Power of Restitution: The Spoils
Join us for a special free screening of The Spoils, an acclaimed documentary about German-Jewish art dealer Max Stern, followed by a live panel discussion exploring the urgent and evolving global movement for art restitution.
The Music Room
Devan Scott continues his journey through the history of lighting. This week, he credits Indian director of photography Subrata Mitra for profound innovations that laid the foundation for ideas of motivated lighting + screening of The Music Room.
