Moving family story told against the background of po¡litical developments in China in the fifties and sixties – from 1953, the year that Stalin died, until 1966, when the Cultural Revolution was proclaimed.Through the eyes and memories of the little boy Tietou, we look back on twenty momentous years. His father disappeared into a work camp when Tietou was very young. His mother was widowed three times in this period. All the relatives and fri¡ends introduced at the start of the film are dragged through the cruel mangle of communist history in the course of the narrative.The story of the young Tietou transgresses much forbidden ter¡ritory. As a result the film’s production was not without difficulty. The references to historic political events meant that the authorities first demanded changes in the script and then, after shooting, they held up post-production for a year.Tian did however succeed in depicting just how much the Cultural Revolution disrupted people’s everyday lives in China with great feeling for authentic detail. One of the most important considerations for Tian in making The Blue Kite was his res¡pect for the suffering of his parents’ generation.
