story
When Aleque and Issay are three years old, their family – Mum, Dad, and their younger sister – move to Beijing, which soon becomes their new home. In this warm and intimate documentary, we follow the twins over three years as they explore local food, make friends, learn Chinese, and adjust to life among skyscrapers and highways. The story is gently narrated by their youngest sister, adding a unique and personal touch to this portrait of childhood, change, and everyday discovery.
about the author
Born in 1978. A Swedish filmmaker with a background in photography. Her acclaimed documentary Tommy, made in Cuba, was shown at the Berlin Film Festival. Her first feature Colombianos won five international awards.
filmography (selection)
2007 Tommy (short)
2012 Colombianos
2025 Aleque & Issay
“Film editing is one of my favourite things in the process of making a film. Anything can happen in the documentary process, and I’m often forced to analyse, question and reassess what is important to get across. One of the challenges is preserving my openness throughout the process; that takes great patience and time. I want to have time to try things out, assess difficult choices, edit scenes in different ways, search for the strongest images, create the right mood and tempo in the film overall, try out different kinds of music in different places, and rearrange scenes. Make the entire film play like a piece of music; that is my optimal process.” - Tora Mkandawire Mårtens