It is a Chinese Drama film. Director Zhang Yimou. It is adapted from Shi Xiangsheng’s 1997 story ‘A Sun in the Sky’. It was produced by Guangxi Film Studio. It stars Wei Minzhi, Zhang Huike.
Set in the People’s Republic in China during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13 year old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the countryside . Called in to substitute for a village teacher for a month. Wei is told not to lose any student.
One of the girls is chosen to train in the city. She is a good runner. So, she is sent to prepare for competitions. So, she loses one student.
When one of the boys takes off in search of work in the big city, she goes looking for him. Her journey takes us on a journey of our own.
The movie was filmed on location at Chicheng County’s Shuiquan Primary School & in the city of Zhangjiakou, both locations are in Hebei province.
Not One Less was Zhang’s first film to enjoy government support & resources. Zhang has openly acknowledged the influence of Kiarostami in this film.
Wei lacks money & power but she overcomes her barriers through sheer obstinacy & ignorant persistence, suggesting that speech & perseverance can overcome barriers.
The film addresses education reform in China, the economic gap between rural & urban populations & the prevalence of bureaucracy, authority figures in everyday life. It is filmed in a neorealist/ documentary style with a trope of non-professional actors who play characters with the same names & occupations as actors have in real life, blurring the boundaries between drama & reality.
When the film was excluded from the 1999 Cannes Film Festival’s competition section, Zhang withdrew it & another film from the festival. He published a letter rebuking Cannes for politicization of & ‘discrimination’ against Chinese cinema. The film went to win the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion & several other awards. Zhang won the award for Best director at the Golden Rooster Awards.
Rotten Tomatoes gave 7.6 /10. Critics generally praised it. Peter Rainer of New York Magazine praised the scene of Wei’s interview on TV as ‘one of the most improbably satisfying love scenes on film’.
Just imagine if every teacher was this devoted to work! A beautiful experience. Just keep a box .. at least one, of tissues ready at hand.
Asian Entertainment 