Episode 25: Cinema of the Wounded

After Mao's death and the end of the cultural revolution, the Communist party engaged in the policy of 拨乱反正 (eliminating chaos and returning to normal). A feature of this time period, was a relative lack of censorship, and an acceptance of self reflection. One form of new literature that emerged was 伤痕文学 (scar literature / literature of the wounded), which were works that attempted to make sense of the human tragedy China had experienced over the preceding decade.

Today we look at two Chinese produced films inspired by that movement, 1993's The Blue Kite, and 1994's To Live. Both films explore the tragedy and loss of a family during the Maoist period of China, and were both banned locally after being completed.

They're really good and you should watch them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Live_(1994_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Kite