Someone to Talk To (2016)

A portrait of modern people who have forgotten how to converse, Someone to Talk to is Liu Yulin's feature film debut and was based on the book of the same title by Liu Zhenyun. Cobbler Aiguo is in conflict with his wife, while his older sister, street food vender Aixiang, considers marriage later in life. Both desperately want to communicate with someone, though their own situations are at opposite poles. Aiguo then breaks up with his wife and Aixiang marries divorcée Jiefang. Aiguo runs into his childhood friend Chuhong while searching for his wife and falls into conversation with her. It turns out that she is also divorced as a result of communication failure and it seems Aixiang and Jiefang can't get along either. Why does their communication fail like that? How come Aiguo can converse so comfortably with Chuhong? Liu Yulin highlights the idea that Aiguo and his wife, Aixiang and Jiefang are not unusual, but it is universal among modern people of today.