Great Happiness (2020)

An insightful, ironic look at the challenges and contradictions that young generations are facing in China, "Great Happiness" is Wang Yao’s auspicious debut that welcomes a new voice into the firmament of local independent cinema and one that is poised to bridge the gap between engaged auteur cinema and lighter, yet socially relevant, comedies, aimed at a wider audience. Set in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province on the border with Tibet, this ensemble film follows the ups and downs in the lives of three friends from the generation born at the time of China’s one-child policy.