Showing @ Cineworld, Edinburgh, Mon 24 and Tue 25 Jun

Yang Lina / Hong Kong / 2013 / 98 min

Fang Lei makes the best wontons.  She is also a doting mother, an attentive (though neglected) wife, a dutiful grand-daughter, a beloved niece and a treasured friend. Indeed she appears to embody the feminine expectations of all those around her, to the neglect of her own inner world.

Things begin to change when Fang Lei encounters a spectral lover in her dreams. His intentions are ambiguous, as are Fang Lei’s feelings about this development. As her attachment to these new sensations grows stronger, those around her – and Fang Lei herself – begin to fear for her sanity.  She begins to seek spiritual counsel from a range of sources but it leaves her more confused than ever about what is happening.

Zhao Siyuan is remarkable as the loyal housewife whose fulfillment seems likely to lead to her downfall. The moving scenes between Fang Lei and her ghostly paramour are erotic Impressionist landscapes, all fleeting shots of warm skin and tender touches that are both intimate and enigmatic. In Longing for the Rain, director Yang Lina has created a poignant fairy tale of spirituality, sexuality and shifting identity in modern-day China.

Showing as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2013