2019
A very Dai Girl
Directed by MengHua Zhang
Synopsis
This film quietly observes her daily life of Xiao Yue, a bright 22-year-old young woman from Yunnan province in the South of China. We see Xiao Yue cook, care for her grandmother, sew, and farm – but also visit an amusement arcade with friends, and talk with her boyfriend on her smartphone. Xiao Yue is of the Dai ethnic group, and whilst she prepares costumes for traditional celebrations, she reflects on her aversion to marrying a fellow Dai, seeking the greater gender equality and modernity she perceives in China’s dominant Han culture. A subtle and affectionate portrait of a young woman embedded in a traditional culture yet networked into the global flows of images and ideologies.
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