Chen
Mengyao

Bafta Festival De Cannes
title
cover

Film plot

About the film

In 1958 Shanghai, a quiet young woman named Xiao-Long works restoring damaged photographs in a narrow studio hidden between old apartment blocks. Every evening after work she stops at the same tea shop to buy jasmine tea for her sick mother. There she repeatedly meets Dong Mei, a reserved translator who spends his nights translating Russian poems and smoking by the window of his rented room upstairs.

At first they exchange only brief glances and polite nods, but slowly their lives begin to overlap through small routines: shared walks during rainstorms, late bowls of noodles after curfew, and silent moments listening to music from a broken radio. Lin Mei discovers a notebook filled with beautiful verses and believes Chen Yu wrote them himself. Without admitting it openly, she falls in love with the tenderness hidden in those words.

  • Country

    China, France, United Kingdom

  • film genre

    Romance, drama, historical, thriller

  • director

    Chen Mengyao

Characters

Cast of actors

an all-star cast for the legendary film

Xiao-Long

Xiao-Long

Gao Jiahua

Dong Mei

Dong Mei

Sun Yitong

Zhang Yino

Zhang Yino

Ma Yinuo

Zhang Wei

Zhang Wei

Li Ting

Wang Lei

Wang Lei

Zhang Min

Liu Yang

Liu Yang

Li Li

Opinion

Movie reviews

A good drama

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“The Scent of Green Tea” is a deeply atmospheric romantic drama set in the fading streets of 1950s Shanghai. Rather than relying on dramatic confessions or large plot twists, the film focuses on quiet human moments: the sound of rain outside a noodle shop, cigarette smoke drifting through a hallway, or two people walking together without knowing what to say. The cinematography is rich with warm colors and shadows, creating a sense of nostalgia and emotional distance that perfectly matches the story.”

Jack Melloy

Atmospheric and understated

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“The Scent of Green Tea” is a delicate romantic drama set against the disappearing corners of 1950s Shanghai. It never rushes its storytelling, instead focusing on texture and mood: steam rising from street food stalls, distant footsteps echoing in narrow corridors, and two lives gently drifting toward each other without clear direction. The film’s soft color palette and shadowed framing create a reflective, nostalgic atmosphere that enhances its quiet emotional depth.

Sofia Laurent

A quiet and emotional piece

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“The Scent of Green Tea” tells its love story with remarkable restraint, unfolding in the fading streets of 1950s Shanghai. Rather than relying on dramatic dialogue or plot shocks, it focuses on atmosphere and fleeting human moments—raindrops echoing in quiet alleys, the glow of lantern light reflecting on wet pavement, and long pauses between two people unsure of what they feel. Its warm, shadow-heavy visuals give the film a nostalgic weight that feels both distant and deeply personal.

Daniel Wu

Final Trailer (Dubbed)

Main

Critics’
rankings

Worldwide Film
Critics' Rankings

4.2 (57,879 ratings)

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poland Film
Critics' Rankings

4.0 (11,379 ratings)

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