Kong Xiu

Director Wang Chao managed to capture a tender and delicate stance of an ordinary woman, which is in contrast with the industrial-based communist regime of 1960s and 1970s. This slow-burn Chinese picture offers a beatifully built story with incredibly intimate cinematography and simple yet strong production design. Although at first I wished that the protagonist's feelings and emotions were shown a bit more prominently so that the audience could connect with her on a deeper level, in the end I actually realised that the fact that we don't get to see the protagonist's emotional breakdowns corresponds perfectly with the reality of her life - she can't let anything get to her or break her, because she just has to keep pushing through every hardship in order to survive - and in that way she is forced to stay a bit indifferent to everything that affects her. She has a great chararcter developement, which is essentially the main point and message of this picture.