PRAYER BEADS

高中生林念贞意外患上念珠菌阴道炎，而念贞对此显得毫不在意，拒绝了医生的治疗。念贞的亲生母亲林宠恩，因未婚先孕被人诟病，被各方数落她是被男人夺走贞洁的荡妇，以致精神衰弱，常年在疗养院接受治疗，以及“女德”思想教育。见到母亲被道德枷锁禁锢时的痛苦，念贞萌生出想要将念珠菌，这个在东亚社会中被妖魔化“不贞洁”的女性疾病，传播给所有人——如果人皆拥有，即人皆平等，那么就不存在所谓谁贞洁谁不贞洁这一说。念贞学校的羽毛球队教练总是对女同学进行各式各样的性骚扰，在她的带领下，女孩们想到了对教练的终极惩罚……同时她们也通过自己的身体，将念珠菌传播到各处：小区的泳池里、大海里，念贞那被受迫害的妈妈的思想里。

High school student Nianzhen is diagnosed with Candida vaginitis, which she seems unbothered by and refuses medical treatment. She is a child out of wedlock, and her mother, Lin, has been crucified ever since by everyone, seeing her as a slut, to the point that she needs to live in a psych ward and go through “Abstinence Education for Women”. Seeing her mother suffering and being imprisoned by the moral yoke, Nianzhen develops the idea of spreading her Candidiasis, the female disease that is demonized as “unchaste” in East Asian society, that if everyone has it, then there is no such thing as who is chaste and who is not. Meanwhile, the coach of the badminton team at Nianzhen’s school sexually harasses the girls on a regular basis. Led by Nianzhen, they think of the ultimate punishment for the coach. They begin spreading Candidiasis far and wide with their bodies—into the neighborhood pool, the sea, and the thoughts of Nianzhen’s persecuted mother.

导演：曾梦笙
编剧：曾梦笙
主演：马溪蔓、李秀怡、文昕
制片人：陈睿然
摄影：宋悦鑫
类型：剧情短片
时长：15分钟
完成时间：2024年
对白语言：汉语普通话
地区：中国、美国
制片公司：无

Director: Mengsheng Valen Zeng
Screenwriter: Mengsheng Valen Zeng
Cast: Ximan Ma, Xiuyi Li, Xin Wen
Producer: Ruiran Carole Chen
Cinematographer: Yuexin Chris Song
Genre: Featured short film
Length: 15 min
Year: 2024
Dialogue: Mandarin Chinese
Region: China, US
Production Company: None

曾梦笙，编剧导演，毕业于罗德岛设计学院电影专业，现于哥伦比亚大学编剧导演研究生在读。她的作品致力于探讨女性在各种不同社会环境下的主体性，大胆表达了女性对于伤害的愤怒，重新定义女性追求自由的方式。目前她正在筹备首部剧情长片。

Valen Zeng is a writer-director based in NY and LA, born and raised in the southern coastal city in China. Coming from a fine arts background with a BFA degree in RISD, her works focus on finding the subjectivity of women and exploring the empowerment of individuality. Currently, she is an MFA candidate in the Screenwriting and Directing program at Columbia University and developing her debut feature film “SHA SHA DANCE”.

念珠菌阴道炎是我三年前亲身经历过的妇科病，缘由是当时一段不太光彩的感情。患阴道炎，又加上感情的背叛，我一度以为自己是不干净的，也很羞于告诉身边的朋友。甚至很长一段时间，我对性生活产生很大的恐惧抵抗。三年后，我终于有勇气去揭这块疤，和许多人述说这个故事。我惊讶于许多个“她”都告诉我，她们也得过阴道炎或尿毒症。有的因为性生活，有的因为生活习惯，她们也羞于让别人知道，因为怕被贴标签，“奇怪”“荡妇”“不干净”。因此，我决定创作这个离经叛道的故事。女性们即便忍受着阴道炎带来生理的瘙痒疼痛，也渴望得到灵魂的自由。

Candida vaginitis is a gynecological disease I had three years ago, from an improper relationship. The disease, combined with the failed relationship, made me think that I was unclean. For a long time, I was too ashamed to share this experience with friends and I refrained from sex completely. It took me three years to build up the courage to rip open the old wound and tell people my story. To my surprise, I learned that in fact many women around me have had similar experiences with vaginitis or UTI, either through sexual intercourses or through lifestyle choices. All of them suffer from the same shame and self-reproach I went through, in fear of being labeled as “slut”, “freak”, or “degenerate”. Thus, I decided to create this unorthodox story about women who long for the liberty of their souls despite ailments from vaginitis.