The Cloud in Her Room

Filmed in Hangzhou, "The Clouds in My Room" seeks to capture states-of-being and the feelings that go with them, and does this remarkably well through a subtle montage of cinematographically stunning images. Mood is more important than plot, although the plot offers a story which is universal: the loneliness of young adults, longing for companionship, understanding and love. And at the same time situated with precision: here that universal experience is captured in a specificity that is female, Chinese, and set in Hangzhou. Well-acted throughout, the first sex scene is surprisingly explicit, and yet perfectly conceived as underscoring the profound loneliness of Zhou Mozi, her existential despair at lack of meaningful connection. Like the ancient art of calligraphy, this film applies its ink (its sequences and frames) gently yet precisely to produce a work of art.