Director: Green Zeng
Language: Mandarin/English/Malay
The Return follows the journey of a political detainee who struggles to come in terms with the dying ideologies of the new generation and the changing world.
After years of imprisonment, Wen comes back home and reunites with his children in Singapore. The life outside has changed so much so that he fails to recognize the city he grew up in. He even fails to understand his own son, Tien.
After his return, Tien is very hostile towards his father. Tien holds him responsible for his lost childhood and his mother’s woes.
His sister Mien, on the other hand, extends a warm welcome. Wen realizes that he missed out on so much back home while he was in prison - his wife passed away, he now has a grandchild and he has become almost like a stranger in his own city.
Wen decides to take one day at a time. He tries to make up with his son. But initially, Tien doesn’t budge. He thinks about returning to teaching but doubts whether he will be accepted.
When his daughter puts up the idea of a vacation, the old Communist doubts if he would be given a passport. He fears of ever being accepted in the society again. In between, he hallucinates.
Just when Tien’s attitude towards his father begins to change, Wen faces another tragedy in his life - the death of his son. Mien decides to take Wen to London where her husband has bought a new house. But Wen refuses to leave his home and decides to stay back and the sense of loneliness seeps in.
Will Wen finally let go of his ideologies and start believing in God? Will he accompany his daughter to London? The open-ended narrative throws umpteen questions at the audience to ponder over.
The focus is on the story and the making is very simple to go with it. The film follows a slow pace. The old man is lonely and for him, each day is a struggle. Time ticks very slowly. The editing and camera movements too highlight this struggle within him. The frames are colorless and grim, just like Wen’s mind.
