The Wheelchair
Yiou Shi • 2022
Under her mother's control, Qianqian suppresses her desire to return to the dance company sooner rather than later. Her leg shows no sign of improvement, but Qianqian, who is sleepwalking, is able to walk normally. In the eerie dream, Qianqian returns to the rehearsal hall, where her long-dead father appears in a wheelchair, while her mother tries to saw off her leg.
CAST & CREW
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Yiou Shi
Director
The short film creates the image of a morbid mother-daughter duo who reflect two of society’s stereotypical expectations of women. One is that women should be naive, innocent and free of desire. In the short film, the girl is trapped in a wheelchair by this expectation of her and her mother. The second is that women are natural caregivers. This is revealed by the image of the mother, who derives all her self-worth from caring for her husband and children. Thus, the wheelchair mother’s tool for those she cares for is also her shackle.