On a 1980s evening, the topmost clown-actor of the 20th century Sichuan opera, Qiu Fu passes away in an accident and half-unwillingly sets off for the Ghost City under the escort of two underworld officials. Along the way, he meets old friends. As they recall the past, a history of the living is conjured up.
Tom and Ellis have been friends forever, spending their summer holidays fishing by the sea. One day, they meet Lucie, a new arrival at their village. As days go by, feelings amongst the trio grow more intimate.
The story of Cross Words is based on a news item, which quickly becomes a pretext for a sensitive, sensual portrait of a generation represented by two main characters, Pierre and Mila, and a group of thirty-somethings. They’re journalists, teachers, carpenters and artists, between Paris, Marseille and Brussels. Valero portrays fragments of everyday life, interweaving them with impressionistic urban and bucolic slivers.
