Chinese filmmaker Agnis Shen Zhongmin’s debut feature, Shanghai Daughter, will have its world premiere in the Panorama section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, as Variety unveils the first trailer. The film incorporates Shen Zhongmin’s memories.
Movie plot: In search of people connected to her father’s past during the Cultural Revolution’s rural relocation campaign decades earlier, Ming, a Shanghai native, sets out on a solitary journey to a rubber plantation in Xishuangbanna, along China’s southwest border. As the former workers’ housing is set for demolition and mining firms and modern farming ventures reshape the once-rubber-filled landscape, Ming crosses paths with a local farm official, a village doctor, a Dai community elder, a rubber harvester, a young environmentalist, and an enigmatic woman who shares a profound personal link to her past.
Liang Cuishan, known for her roles in Cloud in Her Room—winner of the Golden Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam—and Till Love Do Us Part, which screened at the Pingyao International Film Festival, leads the film as Ming, a woman who travels to a remote rubber plantation to uncover her late father’s past during the Cultural Revolution. alongside Zhu Yufei, Kong Chuanzhen, and Li Xiuqiong.
Agnis Shen Zhongmin shares in her statement, “The seed of this film was sown 14 years ago, when my father had just passed away from illness. His death and absence drove me to embark on a journey alone to the remote tropical land.”
Repeated visits over the years fostered a deep bond with the region and its people. “Rooted in my family history, this film expands its thematic scope to an exploration of ecofeminism as well as the pivotal chapters of China’s social history. And for me, it is also an experiment to explore a non-dual realm that blurs the lines between fiction and documentary, and between the private and the public, through a simple and meditative cinematic language,” Shen Zhongmin added.
“Beyond the non-actors/real-life individuals and the female lead, the landscapes, flora, and fauna of southwest China are also portrayed as silent characters in their own right,” Shen Zhongmin adds. “I hope this film can immerse the audience in a tangible geographical space, inviting them to walk, observe, listen, and feel alongside the characters.”
Agnis Shen Zhongmin is also a writer and author of short story collections, including “Notes on Shanghai Geography,” “Deep Simulator,” and “A Traveler’s Desire.”
“Shanghai Daughter” The film blends Mandarin Chinese with the Dai dialect. marks the debut of director and writer Agnis Shen Zhongmin, produced by Xu Ruijing and Liao Yong under Twelve Oaks Film Art. The film’s striking visuals are crafted by cinematographer Pu Wei, while Parallax Films is handling international distribution, ensuring the project reaches audiences worldwide.
