Seventeen Years

With Seventeen Years Zhang Yuan returns to the theme that he had earlier tackled in Sons: growing up in a dysfunctional family and the emotional damage that results. Seventeen Years is a family tragedy that shows the disrupted relationships, but also just how strong family ties can be in extreme conditions. Tao Lin and Yu Xiaoqin are step-sisters. They go to the same school and share the same bedroom, but have nothing else in common. Their parents are both inclined to favour their own daughter, which encourages an unhealthy rivalry between the girls. When Yu Xiaoqin steals money from her father, the modest sum of sixty cents, she blames her sister. Tao Lin, who is not able to prove her innocence, accidentally beats her sister to death in a quarrel and ends up in jail. Seventeen years later she gets permission to visit her parental home, accompanied by a prison guard. It is painful to see her parents again; the emotions vary from remorse, fear and anger to forgiveness. The confrontation is visualised by Zang in a controlled and naturalistic way. While lacking the coarseness of Sons, Seventeen Years has the same documentary approach, partly thanks to the fact that Zhang shot everything on location. That is an achievement in itself: Zhang is the first film director to get permission to film within the walls of a Chinese prison.