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Returning to his native China, after the risible reception for his first English language feature, “Killing me softly” Chen Kaige treads on safe ground with this coming of age tale about a prodigious twelve-year-old violinist. Xiao Chun travels to Beijing seeking a place at a prestigious music academy, but after losing (unfairly, as it turns out, due to a lack of connections and payola), Xiao Chun’s father seeks private tuition with a cynical teacher fallen on hard times. Thus starts the journey of Xiao Chun into manhood; his talent grows as does his distraction for a flirtatious, (yet tender), prostitute who lives nearby. Introduced to the notions of love, honesty, deception and betrayal, Xiao Chun must soon choose between his gauche but loving country-bumpkin father and a cultured but soulless life in the city. Also available on VHS [318952].
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
318979
Languages
Chinese
Chinese
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Anthropology, Ethnology, Exploration & Travel → China - Rural conditions
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Ambition
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → China - Rural conditions
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → China - Social conditions
Economics, Philosophy, Politics, Religion & Sociology → Conflict of generations
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Conflict of generations
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Fathers and sons
Feature films → Feature films - China
Food, Health, Lifestyle, Medicine, Psychology & Safety → Conflict of generations
Music & Performing Arts → Children as musicians
Music & Performing Arts → Music
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
DVD; Access Print (Section 1)