Yun Knows, I Want to Know Too

Xiaoyun, a 15-year-old Chinese girl, grew up in Canberra, Australia. She was always surrounded by a sense of alienation from her identity and knew nothing about her hometown, China. Her grandfather's words "I can't go back" before his death and an old photo of his hometown made her determined to embark on a journey to find her roots alone. She started from Shanghai with Polaroids, traveled through Guangzhou and Shenzhen, and finally arrived at Yunqi Town in Jiangnan, where she met Huangcheng, a young man who loved painting clouds. This encounter was like a gentle cloud, which soothed her wandering loneliness and allowed her to feel the sense of belonging in her blood among the fireworks and mountains and rivers. Xiaoyun traveled all over China, using her camera to record the clouds in various places. During the journey, she also learned Chinese, experienced the culture, and understood the nostalgia of her ancestors. From a confused stranger, she gradually found the connection between herself and her roots; and her friendship with Huangcheng spanned the mountains and seas like clouds, from a brief encounter to a long-term care. The nostalgia of three generations, encounters across mountains and seas, and the pursuit of self-identity are all hidden in the flow of clouds. Xiaoyun finally understood that hometown was never a place name, but the care and love in her heart. She finally understood the answer that Yun knew.