In his third directorial filmThe Reunions, DONG Chengpeng, known professionally as Da Peng, challenges the public’s expectation of him as a commercial director. DONG came up with the idea to make an arthouse film about  how his grandmother would celebrate New Year’s Eve in the rural hometown.

However, the unexpected death of the old lady upset all plans. Since the family members gathered and prepared themselves for shooting, DONG decided to keep going. The film is thus DONG’s personal farewell to a loved elder and offers an affectionate gaze at his family.

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DONG made a short titled The Final Reunion in 2018, which was awarded the best short at Golden Horse Award. The feature-length The Reunions is an expansion and extension of the short with whimsical and touching twists. And it further blurs the boundary between fiction and documentary, provoking thoughts on the meaning of family and also the conflicts between different generations.