Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest

The two mountains of the title can be interpreted in multiple ways. They might be Beijing, where director Viv Li is from and where she regularly visits her family, and Berlin, where she lives and works. More broadly, they could represent the cultural and political contrasts and misunderstandings between East and West. Or they can be read more specifically: family versus friends, youth versus adulthood, tradition versus individuality.

As a bicultural person and an avid traveler, Li struggles to find a place where she truly feels at home. The editing of her diary-like film reflects this state of mind, constantly jumping back and forth through space and time, between Beijing, New York, Venice, and Berlin. And between conversations with family members, who wonder why she is still single, and friends from Berlin’s queer community, with whom she explores identity and friendship, since “nobody teaches you how to be a friend”.

Gradually, through humor, playfulness, and tears, a mosaic of alienation emerges, which is at the same time a compelling self-portrait.