Almost Heaven

Ying Ling delicately washes the face of the motionless body. Using a damp cloth, she carefully cleans the hands, feet and finally the torso. The 17-year-old girl is far from home, preparing for her exams at one of China's largest funeral parlours. At a respectful distance, the film documents Ying Ling's doubts and anxieties as she shares the intimate moments of a final farewell. It conveys her fear of the spirits that might be lurking in the long corridors of the crematorium, but also the playful camaraderie with her colleague, with whom she is gradually developing close friendship. A story of approaching adulthood among the spirits and the dead in a time when rapid development is overtaking age-old traditions. (Berlinale)