Fish Tail

In some families within Chinese society, love is not only expressed through care and dedication but is also often accompanied by unspoken sacrifice.

I grew up in a family full of contradictions—care and constraint, intimacy and distance. These seemingly opposing emotions intertwined to create a subtle yet genuine atmosphere. In some families within Chinese society, love is not only expressed through care and dedication but is also often accompanied by unspoken sacrifice.

“Fish tail” is a metaphor and microcosm of such family relationships: “You eat the fish belly; Mom and Dad will just have the tail.” This model of education, based on self-sacrifice, is passed down through generations under the logic of “It’s all for your own good.” It shapes our understanding of love and quietly influences children’s self-confidence, emotional expression, and sense of self-worth.

Through an online call for submissions, I came to know many peers who share similar childhood experiences. As a narrator, I listened to their stories while intentionally maintaining a certain distance from the subjects. This distance is both visual and emotional—not a closeness that intrudes, but a silent gaze grounded in respect. It reflects the very theme I seek to explore: in many family relationships, intimacy and estrangement coexist, and emotional expression is often restrained or difficult to articulate.

I hope that viewers, when looking at these images, can feel that emotional tension—so close, yet just out of reach—and be prompted to reflect more deeply on the ways emotions are expressed within family relationships.