An epic portrait of rural life in China’s Henan province, Living the Land immerses us in the lives of four generations of a wheat harvesting family, paying closest attention to 10-year-old Chuang. Set in 1991, it might as well be 1891 as the old ways still hold fast in this remote village even as politics, technology, and industrialization slowly march in. Through Chuang’s eyes, we observe the quotidian rhythms of bucolic customs in scenes both momentous and routine as well as the dynamics within the family centered on its matriarch, his beloved great-grandmother. Even in a place where time seems to stand still, change does come, and we watch its slow creep unfold through vivid cinematography and an impressive visual style. Featuring a tapestry of characters and with the land as a focal element, Meng Huo’s drama resonates with its masterful depiction of the everyday.
Huo Meng
A native of Henan, China, Huo Meng’s first film, Crossing the Border – Zhaoguan (2018), received four Golden Rooster Film Awards nominations, including Best Director and Best Small and Medium Budget Film. Living the Land, his second feature, won the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.