A few years prior to the COVID pandemic, Hui Wang returned to Wuhan, China, to reconnect with her aging grandparents, who were her childhood caregivers. Now that they are in their late 80s, the pace of life in their modest home has slowed considerably, but they remain as active as possible in their quiet but rapidly transforming neighbourhood. Navigating various maladies, their humorous domestic bickering is loving evidence of a codependent couple's deep bonds developed after spending the better part of a century together. Reflecting on both the joyful and difficult times and clearly rejuvenated by their granddaughter's company, they recount China's history through personal experiences during Japanese occupation during World War II and the subsequent Cultural Revolution. Wang balances her gentle observations between listening to her grandparents' stories before the memories fade and witnessing the stark realities of bodies failing in their twilight years. The result is an unvarnished yet affectionate family portrait of a quiet generation.

Les Xu vivent dans un petit village traditionnel de la province du Hubei. Leur existence est bouleversée lorsque des fonctionnaires du service gouvernemental des eaux leur annoncent qu'ils font partie des 800 000 personnes qui vont devoir déménager dans le cadre d'un projet colossal de détournement du cours des rivières du sud du pays pour alimenter les villes du nord, en particulier Pékin.

A few years prior to the COVID pandemic, Hui Wang returned to Wuhan, China, to reconnect with her aging grandparents, who were her childhood caregivers. Now that they are in their late 80s, the pace of life in their modest home has slowed considerably, but they remain as active as possible in their quiet but rapidly transforming neighbourhood. Navigating various maladies, their humorous domestic bickering is loving evidence of a codependent couple’s deep bonds developed after spending the better part of a century together. Reflecting on both the joyful and difficult times and clearly rejuvenated by their granddaughter’s company, they recount China’s history through personal experiences during Japanese occupation during World War II and the subsequent Cultural Revolution.