CHINESE MOVIES

My Country,My Parents (2021)

Genre: Drama

Directors: Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi,Xu Zheng, Shen Teng

Island Keeper (2021)

Genre: Drama

Director: Chen Li

The four-part anthology presents stories of multiple generations, depicting parental bonds and familial relationships in each one. The four well-known filmmakers respectively direct and act in the four family stories, crafting nuanced and touching narratives around the families at the center of each story and how both personal hopes and dreams as well as national aspirations were fused together over the course oftime throughout China’s history.

The film takes the viewer on a journey across four distinct eras. Through the stories of four families, it zooms in on the brilliance of ordinary people in the grand narrative, thus highlighting the spirit of each era. The families include a father and son who fought in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression; a family devoted to the development of China’s first artificial satellite; a father who films China’s first TV advertisement, and the formation of an unlikely fatherson duo that traverses timelines, feaffhring a young dreamer and a sentient robot from the fuffhre. From the moving and tragic first two stories to the joyful and heartwarming dramedies that comprise the latter half of this anthology; the main theme of the movie is not just the encapsulation of history, but a testment of the familial bonds of different generations to show China’s great developmental leap from standing up to growing rich and becoming strong.

The film is based on the true story of Wang Jicai and his wife Wang Shihua, who were conferred the honorary title role model of the times in 2014, over the course of his guarding a border island in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province. Wang Jicai experienced many difficulties and faced tough choices during the 32 years stationed on the Kaishan Island. However,the affectionate company of his wife, the full support of a local official, friendship with a fisherman he saved in the sea,and the loyal companionship of three generations of dogs —show how he weathered testing times in a life devoted to duゃand personal sacrifice.

The film covers certain key moments of significance during Wang’s posting on the island, depicting his struggle to make a choice between staying and leaving, his gain and loss as well as pain and pleasure. It showcases how Wang Jicai and his wife overcome the difficulties in their ordinary life, and together safeguard both the deep bond of their rela-tionship as well as their country.