Blue Ocean

In a quiet seaside village, lively and restless little girl Xiaokui has many dreams—she longs to play with her friends, yet also wishes to help her mother, Hongju, perform Maoqiang opera. Since Xiaokui's father disappeared at sea, Hongju has shouldered the burden of supporting the family alone. Her brightest moment is stepping onto the stage as a Maoqiang performer. But now, with few people interested in traditional theater and Xiaokui falling ill, their lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil. Though this film depicts inevitable moments of pain and loss, its true theme is resilience—how we recover from such times. Like the balloons floating around the village, carrying wishes for the safe return of those at sea, pain is ever-present in their lives, but so too are their heartfelt wishes for each other's happiness.