Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress

Set during China’s Cultural Revolution, this film follows two city-bred teenage boys who are sent to a remote mountain village for re-education. There, they discover a hidden stash of Western literature, which opens up a world of imagination and freedom for them and the local tailor’s daughter. The movie stars Zhou Xun, Chen Kun, and Liu Ye, and is directed by Sijie Dai, who also wrote the novel on which the film is based. This poignant tale explores themes of love, friendship, and the transformative power of literature. For those interested, it can be viewed for free on Soap2day.