NextFilm

Falling Before Fireworks (2023)

最食人间烟火色

Si Qing, who works in a loan bank, leads a “vulgar” life in pursuit of a car, a house, and money. In order to recover a bad loan, she meets Jing Chen, a traditional craftsman, for the first time. The two of them, who do not like each other, are entwined in a “fighting each other” way. On the day of the winter solstice, Si Qing, forgotten by her parents and isolated by her colleagues, is in a state of inner turmoil and on the verge of an adult breakdown. Jing Chen’s bowl of eggs in sweet wine, a customary winter solstice treat, is mistaken by Siqing as the only warmth for her birthday so she impulsively proposes marriage. Jing Chen agrees to her request. However, marriage is only the beginning…