PODCAST | Chiara Nicoletti interviews Li Ruijun, director of the film Return to Dust.
An unexpected love story between two outsiders, two people whose family and society targeted as unworthy. That’s the heart of Return to Dust by Li Ruijun. The chinese director talks about love that springs among two farmers. As in his previous films, the director chooses non professional actors and get his family and friends involved in the shooting. China is a country where the majority of population is composed by farmers and their stories should be portrayed more often on the big screen.
Return to Dust : Humble, unassuming Ma and timid Cao have been cast off by their families and forced into an arranged marriage. They have to combine their strength and build a home to survive. In the face of much adversity, an unexpected bond begins to blossom, as both Ma and Cao, uniting with Earth’s cycles, create a haven for themselves in which they can thrive. A story about eternal love, against the odds.
To discover more about the 72° edition of Berlin International Film Festival, click here.
Alice Rohrwacher has been appointed President of the Caméra d’or Jury at Cannes 2025. Known for her poetic and visionary cinema, Rohrwacher will award the best first feature at the festival’s closing ceremony on May 24.