Program 5:15p
Tickets $15
May 2, 2026 at 5:15 pm
Whispers in May
Co-presented with the American Museum of Natural History and Yu & Me Books
American Museum of Natural History
77th Street Between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
We’re delighted to partner with the American Museum of Natural History, Yu & Me Books and Nooks & Crannies to co-present the NYC premiere of WHISPERS IN MAY by Dongnan Chen!
In China’s majestic Liangshan Mountains, 14-year-old Qihuo has just had her first menstruation, marking the start of a traditional coming-of-age ritual. With her parents away as migrant workers, she and two friends set out on a road trip to buy a ceremonial skirt. Winner of the prestigious DOX:AWARD at CPH:DOX 2026, Whispers in May blurs documentary and fiction, inviting Qihuo to be the protagonist of her own adventure as she leaves childhood behind.
Donngan Chen will be in attendance for a conversation following the screening. Come through!
Program
Whispers in May by Dongnan Chen
Program Duration: 95 mins
Watch the conversation between Presenter1, Presenter2 and Presenter 3 on the UnionDocs’ Membership hub.
Bios
Dongnan Chen陈东楠, currently based in Shenzhen China, probes into the nuanced interplay between freedom and dilemma on the peripheries of the social fabric. Her portfolio includes shorts Sound of Vision 声音的颜色, The Trail From Xinjiang 偷, 14 Paintings 历历如画, and the feature Singing in the Wilderness 旷野歌声, which have received important backing from Sundance Institute, IDFA Bertha, Xining First, Field of Vision, DMZ etc, and went on to get Emmy nomination, and selected by IDFA, IFFR, Sundance, New Director/New Films, HotDocs…and were broadcasted on NHK, POV, KBS, PTS. Dongnan is a graduate from New York University and a fellow of IDFAcademy and Sundance story and edit lab.
From the Event
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