Personal tragedy and literary dauntlessness characterise the short life of Chinese writer Xiao Hong (1911-1942). Her writing career coincided with a turbulent period in the country’s history: the civil war between the Nationalists and Communists, which was overshadowed in 1937 by the Japanese invasion. The Golden Era shows how Xiao meanwhile fought her own battle for personal and artistic freedom.
The puzzling aspects of Xiao’s rebellious spirit remain intact in the subtle portrayal by Tang Wei (Lust, Caution). In the meticulous script, there’s a central place for her working and romantic relationship with writer Xiao Jun and the contact with her mentor, Lu Xun. These and other characters from the writer’s environs regularly turn to the camera in order to give their report on the events directly – a theatrical intervention with which Hui Ann shows how much this biography is an amalgamation of personal memories.
Film details
- Countries of production
- China, Hong Kong
- Year
- 2014
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2015
- Length
- 178'
- Medium/Format
- DCP
