Tian yu (1998)

Director:

Joan Chen

Writers:

Joan Chen (writer)
Geling Yan (novel)

Release Date:

29 April 1999 (Singapore)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Young teen girl Xiu Xiu is sent away to a remote corner of the Sichuan steppes for manual labor in 1975...

Plot Keywords:

Revolution | China | Teenage Girl | 1970s | Underage Sex

Awards:

12 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Xiaolu Li	...	Wenxiu (Xiu Xiu) (as Lu Lu)
Lopsang	...	Lao Jin
Zheng Qian	...	Li Chuanbei
Jie Gao	...	Mother
Qianqian Li	...	Sister
Yue Lü	...	Father
Qian Qiao	...	Chen Li
Cheng Jiang	...	Rider A
Xiaoyu Yang	...	Girl
Xuejun Gu	...	Rider B
Huri	...	Holligan
Zhizhung Lik	...	Headquarter's Chief
Kun Zhang	...	Assistant
Shijin Li	...	Jeep Driver
Dong Jia	...	Yak Herder A

Also Known As:

Xiu Xiu he ta de nan ren (China: Mandarin title) (bootleg title)
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Hong Kong | USA | Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:R(A) | USA:R

Company:

Good Machine

Trivia:

Although the U.S. distributor claimed the film was banned in China for sexual and political content, the script was actually approved by the Chinese government. The film was only banned after the filmmakers decided not to wait for permits before shooting in Tibet (such permits are required for a film to receive official approval).

More shots of clouds than any movie in history

Xiu Xiu is a scathing look at communism in China, focusing on the story of a 15-year-old girl who is sent down to the countryside during the last years of the Chinese Revolution (1967-76). The girl works at hard labor and is gradually used by a string of powerful men who accept sex from her in exchange for promises that they have no intention of fulfilling.

Filmed in remote reaches of Tibet, the scenery is beautiful, even all those shots of the clouds that director/producer/writer Joan Chen seems to love. The relationship that develops between the girl and an older horsehearder who was "deprived of his manhood" by Tibetan rebels also is sweet and properly understated. It's clear he loves her and wishes he wasn't powerless to protect her.

However, the story is uneven. Still, it's worth seeing -- if nothing else, it's interesting to see a movie that's been banned in the country in which it was made.