Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress 2005

Against the backdrop of China’s tumultuous Cultural Revolution, two urban teenagers, Luo Min (Chen Kun) and Ma Jianling (Liu Ye), embark on a transformative journey to a remote Sichuan village, where they are subjected to re-education. As they arrive at their destination, they are immediately confronted by the Village Chief (Wang Shuangbao), who scrutinizes their “reactionary” backgrounds in the presence of the curious villagers. Luo’s father, a dentist, had once provided dental care to Chiang Kai-shek, while Ma’s father was a doctor, both facts that spark suspicion and hostility from the Chief. The village leader’s thorough examination of the boys’ luggage yields a cookbook, which he deems “bourgeois” and promptly burns, only to spare Ma’s violin by a hair’s breadth before being persuaded otherwise.

As they settle into their new surroundings, the two city dwellers are immersed in the daily routines of the locals, including grueling tasks like transporting waste for fertilizer and laboring in the coal mine. Amidst this rugged backdrop, a chance encounter with a young girl from the neighboring village, affectionately known as the Little Seamstress (Zhou Xun), sets off a chain reaction of events. The granddaughter of a tailor, she is an illiterate but insatiable seeker of knowledge, and her introduction to Ma’s violin playing sparks a deep connection with both boys. As they form a bond with this captivating young woman, Luo and Ma find themselves vowing to educate her, sparking a plan to pilfer a suitcase filled with forbidden Western novels from Four-Eyes (Wang Hongwei), another re-education trainee bound for the city.

As their daily lives become intertwined with that of the Little Seamstress, the boys begin sharing their knowledge with her. Luo takes on the role of reader, regaling her with tales by Stendhal, Kipling, and Dostoevsky, while her favorite author surprisingly turns out to be Balzac. This cultural exchange not only bridges the divide between city and village but also forges an unlikely love triangle between the three young protagonists, as they navigate the complexities of their re-education program amidst the backdrop of China’s tumultuous Cultural Revolution.

As Luo’s (brief) absence begins, The Little Seamstress confides in Ma about the burden she carries - her pregnancy, a consequence of societal constraints rather than personal choice. With population-curbing laws stifling marriage and abortion illegal without a certificate, the weight of secrecy bears down on her. Ma’s resourcefulness leads him to a gynecologist familiar with his father, who agrees to perform a clandestine abortion. Upon Luo’s return, life in the village resumes its predictable rhythm.

However, The Little Seamstress has undergone a transformation, her perspective broadened by the ideas Luo and Ma have introduced her to. As she becomes increasingly disillusioned with the limitations imposed on her, she makes the bold decision to leave the village behind, much to the dismay of her grandfather and Luo. Years later, in 1974, both Luo and Ma make the journey back to the city, their paths diverging as they pursue new passions - Luo becoming a professor at a dental institute in Shanghai, while Ma crosses the ocean to become a professional violinist in France.

Two decades on, as news of the impending flood brought about by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam reaches Ma, he embarks on a poignant journey back to the village, hoping to reconnect with The Little Seamstress. His efforts are ultimately in vain, and he returns with only a video recording of the village’s final moments, including an aged Chief. Reuniting with Luo in Shanghai, they share stories of their respective failed attempts to find The Little Seamstress, who has long since vanished into the mists of time.

The film concludes with a somber news report of the devastating flood and a haunting image of the trio from their youth, lost in a sea of water.