Black Tea

To the family's shock, Aya says «no» at the altar after discovering that her fiancé has been unfaithful. She emigrates from Africa to Asia and gets a job in a tea shop, where she soon falls in love with the boss.

The tea shop manager, Cai, teaches Aya the rituals of Chinese tea ceremonies. Their shared passion for tea quickly leads them to fall in love, but both have pasts that complicate the development of a relationship. Cai's strained relationship with his ex-wife and his love child from an affair with a woman from Cape Verde get in the way. An affair that ended his previous marriage.

This is Abderrahmane Sissako's first film since Timbuktu, and it is a sensual, well-acted romantic drama. The film explores themes of identity, love, and the fluid boundaries between cultures, offering a glimpse into the African diaspora in China, rarely depicted on film.

Director

Abderrahmane Sissako (b. 1961) was born in Mauritania, grew up in Mali, and was educated at the Moscow Film Institute. He has directed several award-winning films, such as Life on Earth (1998), Waiting for Happiness (2002), Bamako (2006), and Timbuktu (2014).​

This film is part of