xíng zhou
indie filmmaker
writer / director
vancouver, bc, canada
toronto, on, canada
beijing, china
chicago, il, united states
Explore Xíng Zhou’s Magnum Opus
QU MO SI KE HAI
(TO MARE MOSCOVIENSE)
synopsis: set in the late 1980s in a chinese rural town, a mother and son’s relationship is defined by silence and a mutual inability to reach out to each other. on one sweltering summer afternoon, a transformative encounter with cinema sets the son on a surreal journey that leads him to a rare moment of shared empathy with his mother.
inspiration: the film is inspired by zhou's deep reflection on his own upbringing, especially his childhood and early relationships, which delves into the trials and tribulations. it’s a meditation on the passage of time and how our younger selves continue to shape who we become, exploring themes of growth, loss, and reconciliation with self.
premiere: to mare moscoviense will officially premiere in 2025, marking another significant creation in zhou xing’s independent filmography.
filmography
drama / arthouse
co-writer / director
toronto, on, canada
drama / arthouse
writer / director
hebei & beijing, china
drama / arthouse
co-writer / director / director of photography
toronto, on, canada
experimental
experimental
director
vancouver, bc, canada
xíng zhou’s next step
zhou is now preparing for his fourth short film, a thesis film at the school of the art institute of chicago.
this film departs from a personal encounter and enters a world where memory, identity, and perception fracture and overlap. inspired by a recent reunion with his estranged father, zhou explores not confrontation, but re-interpretation—how one might look again at someone they thought they understood, and see only shifting outlines.
in a city made of dreams, a young man moves ever closer to a silhouette.
the film is scheduled to be shot in the summer of 2026.
