HRAFF 2017 | Fallen Flowers Thick Leaves
“A fascinating portrait of female sexuality in modern China.”
SEE NL
Wen Wen, a young outgoing careerist, and Xiao, a shy middle-aged widow, are two very different women, unconnected except for one person: Hongli, their unflinching sex therapist who encourages women in Beijing to explore their sexuality. In her debut feature, Laetitia Schoofs intimately studies the traditional societal expectations of women in China, the impact of the Cultural Revolution on relationships and desire, and the concept
of ‘leftovers’ – single and childless women over the age
of 27. Although China seems a world apart from the West, Hongli prompts liberated discussions on topics as broad as feminism, pleasure, and queer identity.
Laetitia Schoofs
The Netherlands, Germany / 2016 / 86 mins / Mandarin with English subtitles / Documentary
SEE NL
Wen Wen, a young outgoing careerist, and Xiao, a shy middle-aged widow, are two very different women, unconnected except for one person: Hongli, their unflinching sex therapist who encourages women in Beijing to explore their sexuality. In her debut feature, Laetitia Schoofs intimately studies the traditional societal expectations of women in China, the impact of the Cultural Revolution on relationships and desire, and the concept
of ‘leftovers’ – single and childless women over the age
of 27. Although China seems a world apart from the West, Hongli prompts liberated discussions on topics as broad as feminism, pleasure, and queer identity.
Laetitia Schoofs
The Netherlands, Germany / 2016 / 86 mins / Mandarin with English subtitles / Documentary