The Story of Xiao Yan – Shang xue lu shang (2004)

Directed by: Fang Gangliang | 90 minutes | family | Actors: Wu Xu, Ai Liya, Yang Shulin, Zhao Xue, Hu Zhixiao, Ren Huan, Guo Haowei, Liu Yang, Huang Qiang, Yang Lanfeng, Luo Zhongxian, Jing Yuxia, An Lei, Guo Shuangsheng, Yang Chen, Zhang Fengying, Zhao Weiwei, Zhou Hui, Yang Guiying, Cheng Zhengxue, Ma Tao, Yang Shaoqing, Ma Shijun, Li Xiaojun, Yang Liangui

With ‘The story of Xiao Yan’ (‘Shang xue lu shang’), the differences between children in East and West become clear once again: in the West, young people have side jobs to buy nice things or to go out, Xiao Yan work hard and be inventive to collect money to be able to take a seat behind the classroom again the next school year. The school fees have been increased by 4.80 yuan and that is not affordable for the parents of the smart girl. At thirteen she is no longer of school age and when a friend says that she will get married on the first day of school after the holidays instead of continuing her education, Xiao Yan decides that she wants to continue going to school at all costs. Her mother agrees on one condition, Xiao Yan has to earn her school fees herself.

Then Xiao Yan does everything he can to collect the few cents (the tuition fee of 24.80 yuan is converted about two euros). However, it doesn’t suit her. The eggs, collected with great pain and effort, are kicked to pieces before she can sell them on the market. The pen that she wants to sell to her teacher for a profit gets lost and her annoying little brothers want her to buy them candy, otherwise they won’t help her feed the kid, which she also wants to sell for a profit. These struggles take up a large part of the film and it is thanks to the acting talent of the young Wu Xu that – despite the predictable nature of her experiences – you are drawn into the story and empathize with her. Wu Xu portrays the determined girl perfectly.

At the end the film gains momentum, if you think it won’t work and she only saved the money to go with the tractor to pick berries, the film is almost over. The images of the mountains in North-West China are beautifully shot, with beautiful colors an impressive picture of the real China is sketched. The scenes in which Xiao Yan learns to count (against a blue sky) are also very beautiful, fascinating to see the way of counting and passing numbers in China. Themes such as poverty, education and the position of girls and women are central to this portrait of a girl that you must close to your heart once you have seen the film. ‘The story of Xiao Yan’ shows in a disconcerting way how well we have it here. Movie to think about.