Synopsis

Liyan is the patriarch of the Dai family, a once-prosperous clan brought to ruin by the Second World War. An invalid, his marriage to Yuwen has long been loveless. Into their dreary existence comes Liyan’s childhood friend Zhang, who is also Yuwen’s old flame. Feelings are rekindled, and Yuwen finds herself torn between loyalty to her husband and a chance to begin life anew. Exquisitely shot and brilliantly acted, Spring in a Small Town is considered by many to be the greatest Chinese film of all time.

Details

(93mins) | China

Language:

Mandarin with English subtitles

Production

Directors:

Fei Mu

Fei Mu (1906–1951) was born in Shanghai. He made his first feature, Night in the City, in 1933. Several more films appeared before he made his masterpiece, Spring in a Small Town (1948), considered by many to be the greatest Chinese film of all time. Also in that year he made China’s first colour film, Remorse at Death. After his passing his work fell into obscurity, before being rediscovered in the 1980s.