Living the Land

Huo Meng's 2025 Chinese film is set in a village at the start of the nineties. Ten-year-old Chuang's parents work far away; the boy grows up among extended family and joins the work in the fields. The film follows the cycle of a year. Sowing, harvest, a wedding and a funeral come in turn; the narrative builds no event and shows how the village's customs collide with economic change. The cast is largely non-professional. The camera keeps its distance and the takes are long; the narrative holds the child's view without steering the emotion. The film drew notice at festival screenings. Who it's for: those who like Chinese rural drama and slow narrative. Who it's not for: viewers waiting for an event; the film is the passage of the seasons.