Canadian Premiere
Qiu Sheng’s film tells the story of Qiao, a man trying to come to grips with his past. Divided into three time periods, the film begins with Qiao as an 18-year-old (played by Sun Ning). His father Jiantang (Song Yang), a failed boxer, has just died. As we move deeper into the past, we see you young Qiao (Luo Weichen), subjected to Jiantang’s violent and neglectful parenting, while in the future, Qiao builds an AI model of his father to compete with in virtual boxing matches.
Qiu concocts something unusual in this film, fusing the visionary ethos of science fiction with the intimacy of a family drama. What the past, present, and future sections all have in common is a hushed, contemplative atmosphere — there’s a very appealing gentleness to My Father’s Son, even in its moments of volatility.
Best Director, Shanghai 2025
Song Yang, Sun Ning, Tong Chenjie, Alice Ko, Sun Anke, Zhao Jiali
China/France
2025
In Mandarin with English subtitles
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Executive Producer
Wang Hongwei
Producer
Zhang Yuxuan, Jia Ruocheng, Charles Gillibert
Screenwriter
Qiu Sheng
Cinematography
Zhang Jiahao
Editor
Louise Jaillette, Zhang Zhongchen
Production Design
Li Xinhe
Original Music
Luo Keju, Adrien Casalis
Qiu Sheng
Qiu Sheng was born in Hangzhou, China. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering before transitioning to the world of filmmaking. His feature debut Suburban Birds was selected for the 2018 Locarno Film Festival along with more than 20 other international film festivals, including São Paulo, BFI, CPH:PIX, and New Directors/New Films. His short film Double Helix (2021) won Best Short Film at the Shanghai International Film Festival and Best International Short Film at the Ghent Film Festival.
Filmography: Suburban Birds (2018)
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