Set in the People's Republic of China during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the Chinese countryside. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students.
Direction
Zhang Yimou cast non-actors with their real names—chaotic genius.
Writing
A promise over chalk becomes an odyssey through modern China.
Cinematography
Dusty mountains vs. gray city sprawl—two Chinas, one lens.
Director
Zhang Yimou
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Wei Minzhi and Zhang Huike are their real names; most 'actors' were actual villagers. Zhang Yimou wanted documentary authenticity so badly he filmed chronologically and hid plot developments from the cast.
The film sparked debate in China about whether Zhang Yimou was exposing poverty or pandering to Western festival audiences—ironically, it became his first film approved by censors without cuts because it showed 'positive' problem-solving.
CN
