Keswick Film Festival

Synopsis

Yimou Zhang (Raise the Red Lantern) continues on a fine form with this great film, winner of the Golden Lion at Venice 1999. It is simple, moving and universal (has been compared to David Lynch's The Straight Story and De Sica's Bicycle Thieves), and tells the tale of a 13-year old girl (Wei) entrusted with the task of keeping all 28 pupils (not one less) at their studies in the absence of their teacher, Gao. When troublemaker Zhang Huike runs off to the City, Wei must bring back the truant.