Stuck in Berlin after the pandemic, artist Viv Li navigates tension between her family's traditional expectations in Beijing and her new life among Berlin’s subcultures. Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest captures humorous, surreal encounters as she searches for belonging across shifting cultural landscapes. A witty, personal reflection on identity, integration, and the subtle ways modern societies define us.

Rather than following conventional plot or rigid structure, the film unfolds through playful, intuitive editing by Christoph Bardgfrede. Beneath its energetic surface is a rich philosophical layer. Scenes from vastly different locations are intercut with deft precision, juxtaposing cultural environments to mirror the friction of belonging everywhere and nowhere.

Join Li, Bargfrede and NCE editor Annelotte Medema as they unpack this creative collaboration. Using scenes from their widely acclaimed, successful film, they reveal how they shaped its distinctive rhythm, balanced humor with reflection, and found a cinematic language for a life between cultures.

Moderator: Annelotte Medema (NCE)

Speakers: Viv Li (Director), Christoph Bargfrede (Editor)