'Brief History of a Family': A metaphorical tale at the heart of China's new middle class
Following the recent major Chinese "feminist" box office hit of the year – Her Story, directed by Yihui Shao and released in France on April 9 – this summer season has given French distributors an opportunity to showcase some promising talents from the world of independent Chinese cinema. We previously highlighted the pleasant surprise of My Father's Son by Qiu Sheng (in theaters since July 23). Brief History of a Family, Lin Jianjie's debut feature, which opened on Wednesday, August 13, also deserves attention.
Interestingly, like his compatriot Qiu, Lin initially pursued a career in bioengineering before abruptly changing course. Unlike Qiu, however, he trained in filmmaking in New York and already appears to be well integrated into international film support networks.
Nonetheless, Lin's film remains deeply connected to contemporary China and its social dynamics, and chooempatheticses a style that resists the expected realist approach. At the center of the story is China's new middle class and, as a consequence of its rise, the immense expectations placed on the next generation in their pursuit of excellence. Everything begins with a minor altercation between two teenagers who attend the same high school. Wei, the son of a wealthy family, ends up quickly befriending Shuo. The two boys become inseparable, to the point that Shuo becomes a regular presence in his friend's household.
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