Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress

China 2002

Details  imdb

Seen 11 October 2008

Two teenagers are sent to a mountainous area during the 1970s for reeducation during the Cultural Revolution in China. Their encounter with the grand- daughter of the village tailor became the starting point of a love for the girl. Banned books stolen from a fellow reeducation cadre became the focal point of the threesome’s secret meetings.

Love blossomed, tragedy occurred, and the village lass strikes a life of her own.

Twenty years later, the two friends meet again, but the girl in their previous life is not to be found.

Words, even mere fiction, have a tremendous effect on all. The power of words is such that even the old and those who are supposedly the guardian of the system of the day, are affected. Yes, a word is mightier than the sword. So no surprises when many in power try to limit the free flow.

A heart warming tale told in snippets, enhanced by the sheer raw beauty of an area, now gone forever to future generations. The area has been flooded for the Yangtze River dam mitigation scheme.