LE VEILLEUR

THE WATCHMAN — France, Belgium 2024 — Directed by: Lou du Pontavice, Victoire Bonin — 77 min — Spoken language: Chinese (Mandarin) — Subtitles: English — Production Company: Hutong Productions — Producers: Lucie Rego, Pauline Tran Van Lieu

A security guard and a concierge in a luxury hotel, project a dream life onto their only son, a music student in China. When he moves to Estonia to attend a prestigious conservatory, his parents must find ways to deal with his absence.

Night. A man in uniform quietly observes his surroundings. The security guard Guangdong appears lonely since his son Zhaohang went to Estonia to study music – in the hope of a better future. Their father son relationship, which was once so close, has been replaced with video calls in which the parents try to maintain the family bond despite the distance between them. 

Festivals & Awards

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival — Best Film Award · Documentary Competition
FIPADOC — SACEM Award for Best Original Music · National Documentary Selection
Filmer le Travail Festival — Jury Award (Activities Sociales de l’Énergie) · International Competition
La Rochelle Cinéma – FEMA — Au Cœur du Doc
Escales Documentaires de La Rochelle — Docs d’à côté Section
Allers-Retours – Chinese Auteur Cinema Festival
Traces de Vies Festival — Official Competition
DOK.fest München
FIDADOC Agadir · Morocco

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