AROMA

Director Xue Ma

Genre Drama

Language Chinese

Running time 80 minutes

Stage of production finished

Country of production USA, South Korea, France

Year 2026

FESTIVAL

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2026 - Rebels with a Cause Competition

TRAILER

SYNOPSIS

Yang has a rare sensory condition and finds solace only in lemon and disinfectant. Following a man’s scent, she finds Fang in a coma. She devotes herself to his care only to discover a secret past.

As a teenager, Fang lived with his sister, who supported them as a masseuse. Eavesdropping on her and her clients stirred complex emotions in him.

Tormented by guilt, he dreams of a woman in red——his sister’s specter. This story of loss and longing blurs the line between the living and the dead.

Director — Xue Ma

Director Xue Ma was born in Beijing, China, and received a double degree in Korean and Art from Peking University. She went on to earn a master's degree in Mass Media from Seoul University, and later pursued doctoral studies in Film at Hanyang University in South Korea.

Her debut feature film White River was selected for the 52nd International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Bright Future section, as well as the World Cinema section at the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Panorama section at the Kaohsiung Film Festival. The film was released in the United States by Film Movement in 2024 and had its theatrical release in France in January 2025.

Her second feature, Sonata of Wave, was selected for the 25th Jeonju International Film Festival in 2024, won Best Film and Best Cinematography at the Buenos Aires International Film Festival, and released in China in May 2024.

Aroma is her third feature.