After the Rain

After a 2008 earthquake razed a Chinese city, over 6,000 parents were encouraged to replace the children they lost. Due to the One-Child Policy, most had lost their only child. After the Rain follows two couples who bonded through the shared challenge of raising new children amid grief. In 2017, Mei and Sheng live with their son Chuan and a photo of their late daughter. Their friends Ying and Ping are raising 11-year-old Ran-ran after losing their first child. As the children grow, the parents struggle with grief, fear, and guilt—but also with love and resilience. Together, they search for healing, navigating loss to build a fragile, hopeful future.