A woman inherits her father's fireworks factory, as he had no son. The business does well and everything works in an orderly fashion until one day, an itinerant painter is hired to decorate the doors and vases at the factory. The woman, forbidden to marry and thereby involve outsiders in the factory ownership, finds herself drawn to the headstrong painter. When they fall in love, the situation throws her entire life into disarray
Cinematography
Stunning yellow-earth palette and explosive firework sequences.
Acting
Ning Jing's restrained performance builds devastating tension.
Direction
He Ping crafts silence as loud as the final blast.
Director
He Ping
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Banned in China for its frank sexuality and critique of patriarchal inheritance customs; became a cult hit on the festival circuit.
The spectacular firework finale used practical effects that nearly burned down the set—director He Ping kept one take.
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