Chinese Mainland Film Panorama 2026: "The Midsummer’s Voice"

Director: Zhang Yudi Screenwriters: Huo Xueying, Zhang Yudi Cinematographer: Yan Yu Cast: Bian Cheng, Zhou Meijun, Zhang Chi, Chen Shaoxi, Xu Shixin Produced by Maxtimes (Hubei) Co., Ltd., Hubei Yangtze River Film Group Co., Ltd., Hubei Media Group 2024 | Colour | 102′ In Putonghua with Chinese and English subtitles Short Film after the Feature Audience Choice Award, The Belt and Road Film Week, The 26th Shanghai International Film Festival Best Directorial Debut, The 37th China Golden Rooster Awards Best Screenplay, The 18th FIRST International Film Festival In Chinese opera, “Dao Cang” refers to a unique challenge when a young performer’s voice changes, becoming deeper, rougher, or hoarse. On stage, it is what performers fear most; off stage, they fear losing who they are. The film follows three young Peking Opera performers over one summer. As they deal with growing up, identity struggles, and fear of the future, they learn to understand themselves through these hard times. Expanding from the 15-minute short The Midsummer’s Voice, the feature builds a richer story. Director Zhang Yudi brings a fresh perspective to traditional opera, giving new life to the art form and finding a touching link between youth and tradition.