Miles Apart

Raising children can be tough. Especially if they live 600 miles away and you see them once a year. Laomao and his wife left their children 12 years ago sending money home for their children’s education. They hope one day their kids will have good jobs and join them in Beijing.

Now 19, their daughter Ying Ying is joining them in Beijing but doesn’t seem to aspire to the same goals as their parents. Her brother Lei Lei back home is even worse. His final exams are coming up and there is no sign of improvement. Every time the parents call the grandparents’ home he is out of their house.

Whilst Meizi is trying to find a job for Ying Ying, Laomao returns to the village to speak with his son Lei Lei.

The separation of Chinese families is a story shared by a quarter of rural parents. Miles Apart is an observational documentary looking intimately at the clash of three different generations and cultures.