«BE RIGHT BACK» by Yixuan Tu

In a rain-soaked seaside town, a woman in a marital crisis chooses not to follow her husband to an immersive theatre performance. Left alone, she drifts into her thoughts until an encounter with a young man fractures her reality. Drawn to the possibility of escape, she surrenders to an afternoon suspended between desire and uncertainty, torn between the need to break free and the fear of losing herself completely.

Yixuan Tu crafts a restrained and introspective film, built on intimate performances and a relational triangle—thus, the theatrical performance is brought into play in a metalinguistic way, serving both as a narrative pretext for the couple’s physical separation and the woman’s solitude, and as a directorial framework. At the same time, water—an ever-present element—embodies the protagonist’s restlessness, emotional instability, and deep-seated longing for liberation from the constraints of marriage and society. The stark, minimalist cinematography heightens the sense of isolation, distilling each frame to its essence and focusing on emotional nuance rather than scenic realism.

“Be Right Back” is a delicate yet incisive portrait of contemporary Asian womanhood, questioning the weight of social conventions, the compromises of marriage, and the fine line between duty and desire. Yixuan Tu embraces ambiguity and introspection without offering definitive answers, drawing the audience into an intimate and universal emotional journey.