Mirrors and Feathers (The Widowed Witch)

Erhao's life has for years been marked by suffering and pain. As a result of an unfortunate series of events, her third husband, Dayong, dies during an explosion at the fireworks factory that they depended on survival. It also burned down their home, but Erhao miraculously survived. In order to regain her strength and get back on her feet after the accident, she moves in with her family. This all turns out to be an illusion: shortly after arriving at their home, she's raped by her brother-in-law. Marked by failure and wanting to alter her cruel fate, she decides to traverse northern China in search of her place in the world. Debut director Cai Chengjie's Mirrors and Feathers (The Widowed Witch) won the main prize at the most recent Rotterdam Festival. The Chinese director has created a fairy tale about a woman who, despite her misfortunes and rejection, constantly fights for a better tomorrow. The strong protagonist and feminist point of view are inseparable elements of this tragic story. In a way that is not at all obvious, Cai uses colors, waking and dream states, as well as shamanistic symbols, to create a raw and inscrutable world.