The Foolish Bird
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Release Year:
2017
Story:
Winter is just about to start in a small town in southern China, when Lynn (16), a 'left-behind' child who grew up with her grandparents, prepares to take the high school final examinations. Her mother, who works in faraway Guangdong as a long-time migrant worker, wants her to get into a police academy. But Lynn's preparations are not going well. At school, she is bullied by her classmates, while at home three cousins never stop teasing her. Her friendship with May, who attends another high school in town, is her only outlet. May doesn't like taking care of her disabled brother, and the girls often escape from their family homes to spend the night at a Net Cafe. After a girl at May's high school is raped and killed, May's foster mother confiscates her phone. When Lynn has to guard the phones of her classmates, she steals a phone of a girl who has bullied her and gives it to May. May encourages her to steal more phones, which they then sell cheaply. They spend the money on getting their hair done, and have a nightly meal with the hairdressers. Lynn is made drunk, and when she wakes up she can't find May. After this incident, May stops answering Lynn's calls. By herself, Lynn continues the risky path of selling stolen phones. She meets Dawei, a boy from the same school. As she comes to rely on this son of a police bureau chief, she slowly forgets May. Then Lynn's mother suddenly makes a trip home to borrow money from relatives and friends. When she sees how Lynn is changed, she decides to investigate her lower body... Mother's discovery leaves Lynn confused. Who was it?
Winter is just about to start in a small town in southern China, when Lynn (16), a 'left-behind' child who grew up with her grandparents, prepares to take the high school final examinations. Her mother, who works in faraway Guangdong as a long-time migrant worker, wants her to get into a police academy. But Lynn's preparations are not going well. At school, she is bullied by her classmates, while at home three cousins never stop teasing her. Her friendship with May, who attends another high school in town, is her only outlet. May doesn't like taking care of her disabled brother, and the girls often escape from their family homes to spend the night at a Net Cafe. After a girl at May's high school is raped and killed, May's foster mother confiscates her phone. When Lynn has to guard the phones of her classmates, she steals a phone of a girl who has bullied her and gives it to May. May encourages her to steal more phones, which they then sell cheaply. They spend the money on getting their hair done, and have a nightly meal with the hairdressers. Lynn is made drunk, and when she wakes up she can't find May. After this incident, May stops answering Lynn's calls. By herself, Lynn continues the risky path of selling stolen phones. She meets Dawei, a boy from the same school. As she comes to rely on this son of a police bureau chief, she slowly forgets May. Then Lynn's mother suddenly makes a trip home to borrow money from relatives and friends. When she sees how Lynn is changed, she decides to investigate her lower body... Mother's discovery leaves Lynn confused. Who was it?
Casts & Crews:
HUANG Ji
Directors
Ryuji Otsuka
Directors
Runtime:
118
minutes
Language:
Mandarin, Hunan Dialect
Subtitles:
Chinese, English
Festivals & Awards:
Berlin International Film Festival World Premiere Generation 14plus - Special Mention Award, Germany 2017 FIRST International Film Festival - Best Artistic Originality：Ryuji Otsuka, China 2017 South Taiwan Film Festival - The Best Fiction Film Award, Taiwan 2017 International Film Festival of Andrei Tarkovsky “Zerkalo”, Russia 2017 Zurong Dialect Film Festival - “Best Picture” , China
Berlin International Film Festival World Premiere Generation 14plus - Special Mention Award, Germany 2017 FIRST International Film Festival - Best Artistic Originality：Ryuji Otsuka, China 2017 South Taiwan Film Festival - The Best Fiction Film Award, Taiwan 2017 International Film Festival of Andrei Tarkovsky “Zerkalo”, Russia 2017 Zurong Dialect Film Festival - “Best Picture” , China
Tags:
#girls #south #growing up #sex
Director‘s Statement:
THIS STORY IS INSPIRED BY THE REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCES OF RURAL TEENAGERS IN HUNAN.
I compared my experiences with that of the younger generation living in a small town. Although I grew up in a different era and had different life experiences, I shared with them a lack of parental love and attention. THE FOOLISH BIRD explores ignorance and foolishness around gender and sex.
I compared my experiences with that of the younger generation living in a small town. Although I grew up in a different era and had different life experiences, I shared with them a lack of parental love and attention. THE FOOLISH BIRD explores ignorance and foolishness around gender and sex.
Yun Zhang
3 months ago
Casts & Crews
HUANG Ji
Director
Ryuji Otsuka
Director
