Review by Chris Walts

The Longwang Chronicles are director Li Yifan’s year in the life of the poor Chinese farming village Longwang. Structured according to the traditional Chinese almanac, Li captures the events his film with surprising fly on the wall freedom and detail. Although there is absolutely nothing flashy about this film my interest was held the entire time by the honesty of the events portrayed on screen. Some of the highlights of the film include the uncensored castration of a pig, attempts to extinguish cult religious groups, a fraudulent civic election, and various displays of Communist Party rhetoric. As a Westerner with very little direct knowledge about what is happening in rural China, The Longwang Chronicles provides a thoughtful and compassionate insight into the daily lives of a large group of people I would otherwise have no knowledge about.

The Longwang Chronicles
Li Yifan | China | 2007 | 90min

Mon. Oct. 6 | 12:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre 5