Adapted from the novel with the same title. This is a tragedy that occurs in modern China. By a vivid description of the frustrated life story of Gao Jialin, a high school graduate who is first dismissed from teaching post and then enrolled as a journalist in the city and finally dismissed from the post and become a farmer again, this movie presents the young man as a serious issue of how to deal with their life.
Acting
Zhou Lijing's face does the heavy lifting—devastating in every frame.
Direction
Wu Tianming lets rural landscapes judge his protagonist silently.
Writing
The novel's prose translated to crushing dialogue choices.
Director
Wu Tianming
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during China's 'root-seeking' literary movement, it interrogates rural identity just as urban migration accelerated.
The bike scene where Qiaozhen rides through the village remains iconic—her joy makes the ending unbearable.
CN
