Always

Deep in the lush mountains of Hunan province, Youbin lives with his father and two grandparents. He is 8 years old and he is a poet. The family is poor and lives on what they manage to grow. But at the village school, the children are taught Chinese poetry, and Youbin discovers the magical power of language to describe one’s feelings and place in the world.

Out in the mountains, you live in the magnificent beauty of nature. But Youbin’s heart is lonely. His mother ran away when he was three months old and his father lost his arm in an accident. Debut filmmaker Deming Chen describes Youbin’s formative journey in beautiful black and white images, allowing Youbin’s poems to fill the screen in all their calligraphic beauty.

PLEASE BE NOTIFIED that pay-what-you-want price tickets will not be available at the “Romuva” cinema.

CPH:DOX – DOX:AWARD 2025
Jeonju International Film Festival – Best Picture Prize 2025
Hot Docs 2025
DocsBarcelona 2025
Sydney Film Festival 2025