“Atlantic Rhapsody” Explores a Surreal Journey in Search of a Missing Parent

The cast and crew of China production Atlantic Rhapsody, shortlisted for the Golden Goblet Awards Main Competition, met the media at the 28th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 18.

The feature debut of director Zhong Kaifeng, the film follows Ding Mao, a supermarket clerk who starts hearing strange voices after accidentally boiling a shark at work. 

Inspired by the mysterious sounds, he returns to his hometown for the first time in 20 years to search for traces of his father who disappeared many years earlier.

Sound designer Li Pite is responsible for one of the film’s most distinctive elements, his immersive soundscapes mirroring Ding Mao’s evolving emotional state while guiding audiences through the character’s surreal journey.

Director Zhong offered a humorous explanation to the query about why he chose Atlantic Rhapsody as the title for a film set in Northeast China.

“At first, after discussing it with lead actor Wang Yitong, we considered a title like 'My Shark Dad’,” he said. He then explained that two key elements in the film—the television series The Man from Atlantis and a shark kept in a supermarket fish tank—ultimately inspired the title. 

He added that the contrast between oceanic imagery and the northeastern setting reflects the sense of displacement that runs throughout the story.

Actress Li Xueqin also shared a light-hearted story about her casting.

“When I first received the script, the character was still written as a man,” she told the media. “I was drawn to the role because it was so different from anything I had played before. After discussion with the filmmakers, the character was reworked into Li Xin, the female role I portray in the film.”

Although a nationwide release date has yet to be announced, producer Wang Tianxiao expressed hope that the film will reach audiences who connect with its story.

“We hope the film will find an audience that appreciates it,” he said. “We are very much looking forward to that.”