UK Premiere
A Little Regret in Helsinki 赫尔辛基的小遗憾
Short film Competition 1
Year of Production 2025
Production Countries/Regions Finland
Duration 13 mins
Genres Documentary Essay Film Family Coming-of-Age
Dialogue Language(s)
English Mandarin Finnish French
Subtitle Language(s) Chinese and English
Director(s) Haohao Qiaoshi Liu
Director’s Bio
Haohao Qiaoshi Liu (b. 2002, Finland) is a Finnish-Chinese writer-director based between New York, Helsinki, and Sydney. In May 2025, she graduated cum laude from Columbia University majoring in Film and Media Studies. As an emerging artist with a strong and distinctive vision, her notable films Early Years and A Little Regret In Helsinki have been cherished by international audiences and selected for competition at Oscar- and EFA-qualifying film festivals across four continents.
Synopsis
A Chinese girl returns home to Helsinki, with a desire to reassess her feelings about home, perfection, friendship, and regret. A tender dialogue is raised between father and daughter.
Festivals & Awards
2025 17th Leiden Shorts
2025 23rd Tirana International Film Festival
2025 19th Buffalo International Film Festival
2025 30th Canberra Short Film Festival
2025 9th Beijing International Short Film Festival
Scriptwriter(s)
Haohao Qiaoshi Liu
Producer(s)
Haohao Qiaoshi Liu, Wertti Majamaa, Kauri Seppälä
Executive Producer(s)
Key Casts
Jun Liu (Narration), Haohao Qiaoshi Liu (Narration)
Curators’ note
Director’s Statement
I consider this project a meditation on the concept of 'home' as written about in 'Giovanni’s Room' (1956) by James Baldwin. Closely, we ponder: 'Do we truly not have a home until it is left? And upon return, how are we met, and what are we met with?' Without a unified answer, I provide delicate replies by examining place through the lens of friendship, and love through feelings of regret.
