Send Me to the Clouds

Send Me to the Clouds

Song wo shang qing yun
Directed by Teng Congcong
China | 2019 | Narrative
99 minutes | Mandarin

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer, iron-willed journalist Sheng Nan (“Surpass Men” in Chinese) is pressured to make a quick fortune and engage in mind-blowing sex before the costly surgery numbs her senses. Taking on the job of writing a businessman’s biography, she hikes into the mountains, where a chain of encounters with her dysfunctional family, grumpy client, misogynistic co-worker, and dreamlike romantic interest hilariously unfolds. Both deeply moving and luminously witty, “Send Me to the Clouds” addresses the bitterness of a generation of women born under China’s One Child Policy, who are unprecedentedly asked to “surpass men” but avoid becoming “leftover women.” Calling the film an “engaging and entertaining pro-feminist dramedy,” Variety writes: “The social and economic pressures felt by China’s ‘leftover women’ — referring to those older than 26 and unmarried — are examined in ‘Send Me to the Clouds.’ Bold by mainland standards for presenting a positive portrayal of a woman who’s chosen neither motherhood nor marriage, ‘Clouds’ marks an impressive feature debut for female writer-director Teng Congcong.”