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This movie tells the story of Ji Ji Ri Xi, who has many different identities. She is a wife, widow, mother, and Su Ni (which is the Chinese name of the women witch in Yi ethnic group). As a wife, she is under the control of her husband, who smokes, drinks, and gambles. Thus, she feels trapped and helpless. As a widow living in the Liangshan Region under Yi ethnic group’s control, which is a very traditional and male-dominated society. This makes her feel like an empty shell. As a mother, her eldest daughter is silent because of her father’s death. However, she has to take care of her three daughters and two sons, as well as find food and clothing for her children. As a Su Ni, a witch in Yi culture, she tells fortunes and cures the people. Quite the contrary, she cannot take care of her own family. This woman, who has been hurt by her many different identities, finally shows her life as it is with the camera.
This film is director Ruixuan Hu’s second short film about Yi ethnic group in Liangshan Region. While the first film was all about women dealing with hard times, this film is different: it not only shows the strength and hope of some mothers who never give up on their sons and daughters, it also shows the emotional pain that the next generation has because their fathers are dead. They grow up in a society where men are in charge, and when their dad dies, they don’t have a householder. They don’t have much hope for the future, even though the government has built schools and roads for them, it’s still tough for them to change their poverty and their fate.
Directed by Qianran Li and Ruixuan Hu (China)