Books and Movies

The Sacred Clan (Sinoist, July 28)

Wu Township is a typical small town in flux—sandwiched between the urban and the rural, its younger generations are leaving for better opportunities elsewhere.

Through 12 standalone but interconnected short stories in this fictional town, we meet a boy who saves an ancient tree from being felled, a depressed young teacher unable to realize his aspirations, a beauty store owner entangled in a flawed marriage...

A literature scholar and author acclaimed for her nonfiction works about rural China based on extensive field research in Liangzhuang, her own hometown in Henan, Liang Hong is an apt guide through Wu Township.With hints of the supernatural and a sharp focus on human experience,Liang sketches out the beating heart of a small town, rich with hidden currents of emotions.- Siyi Chu

Dear Chrysanthemums (Scribner, May 2)

Another collection of interconnected short fictions,Dear Chrysanthemumsis ambitious.In just over 160 pages, the settings span from 1946 to 2016, from Shanghai to New York, while the characters, mostly women of Chinese descent—from a cook for Madame Chiang Kai-shek to a pianist living in Paris—navigate extraordinary circumstances in life and history.

It is also the first time Fiona Sze-Lorrain, a French poet, translator,andguzhengmusician with Chinese roots, explores fiction.Stemming from the history of modern China, the book is more an impressionist image of how some of the country’s diaspora navigate uprooting and trauma, while finding resilience and creativity along the way.Sze-Lorrain writes with sensitivity and deep compassion for her characters,resulting in stories that are more than skin-deep.- S.C.

Elsewhere (Scribner, July 11)

Yan Ge has published 13 books in Chinese over her 20-year writing career, but her English-language debut came only this July with a collection of nine short stories.

InElsewhere, the award-winning author explores the idea of displacement, both literal and emotional, caused by travel, emigration,or exile.From a young woman attempting to bond with a group of poets following the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, to a married couple seeking closure for the trauma experienced during their honeymoon, Yan’s protagonists navigate the elusive realms of longing, art, and existence.She also demonstrates her range in this collection of stories, which are set from Confucius’s time to modern-day, tech-obsessed China.- Hayley Zhao

Day Dreaming (Film, June 15)

This fantasy comedy starts with small-town third grader Zhu Tong’s botched attempt at forging his grandpa’s signature on an exam paper.However, the simple act of mischief somehow leads to encounters with a pickpocket crane, an electricity-inducing alien fighter, and a Jabba-the-Hutt-like creature named Craphole Creeper.

Day Dreamingis an impressive debut by actor-turned-writer-director Wang Zichuan and arguably the most pleasant surprise among the domestic titles premiered at this year’s Shanghai International Film Festival.Filled with knee-slappers, the film does not directly address certain social issues, such as the plight of left-behind children and the limits on individuality in the Chinese education system, but they hang ostensibly in the background of the story.Thus,Day Dreamingsteers clear of melodrama and cliché, making its bittersweet ending all the more powerful.- Amarsanaa Battulga

Galaxy Writer (Film, July 24)

Inspired by the real-life experiences of the movie’s three creators,the winner of the Best Screenplay award and Grand Jury Prize at this year’s FIRST film festival centers around two young screenwriters striving to succeed in the film industry in Beijing.Starring comedian Song Muzi and actor He Wenjun, this comedy-drama showcases the anxiety shared by China’s urban-dwelling young creatives over whether to pursue their artistic passion or cave to what the market (and society)desires.

Over a running time of just 106 minutes (with laughs aplenty throughout), Shan Dandan and Li Kuo, the directors of the film, not only reveal the realities of China’s movie industry but also share their worries about the future of content creation, particularly the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence.- H.Z.

Fate of the Moonlight (Film, July 25)

Another award winner at FIRST this year, this three-hour epic begins with an emotionally broken, pregnant Xia Chan finding out her boyfriend, the baby’s father, is a con artist.Fast forward a few years, Xia has made a life for her daughter and herself in the city of Chengdu, though her job at a karaoke bar leaves her social status at rock bottom.Soon, the death of Xia’s twin sister sees Xia taking care of her 12-year-old niece, supporting two children on a single income,while her mother visits and brings up more childhood trauma.

Fate of the Moonlightthrows the spotlight on an often-overlooked group of women in Chinese society.Despite being male, the film’s director Qin Tian succeeds in portraying the conflict between three generations of women in a peaceful, restrained, and respectful way,filling the festival screening with sniffles.- H.Z.