Peking University, Dec.10, 2011: To celebrate the founding of Peking University (PKU) School of Arts, students met with the production crew in PKU Hall to discuss the film on December 5.

A poster of Close to the Sun (PKU Hall)

The film, Close to the Sun, tells a story of a French artist. She visits a small village in China, where the villagers help her heal past anguish and awake her love for life. It shows the customs of the minority group and the wisdom of living in harmony with nature.

The film has already received many awards. For instance, it was selected by the Chinese Ministry of Culture to be China’s iconic film of 2011. In a recent online survey, nearly 92.5% of the respondents would recommend this movie to others. One netizen said that the movie was just like a SPA for your heart.

Another poster of the film (PKU Hall)

After the film, it’s the director, Mrs. Chouchou, discussed her ideas with the students. She said that she felt honored to show her film at PKU. Mrs. Chouchou has always tried to make her films from the heart, in order to let the film benefit society. This time, her movie shows the love and pureness of a minority people, conveying the warmth of life in an optimistic and kind way.

The movie left more time to the audience to think. The students and teachers from Miao in Guizhou Province were deeply impressed by the film. All the actors , except the actor who played the role ”father”, were amateurs. In this way, the film abandoned the traditional way of big commercial movies. It presents the audience with a genuine picture of life in the village.

Mrs. Chouchou exchanges ideas with the audience (PKU Hall)

What's more, the French artist in the movie represents Western in our real life. She is deeply moved by the people in the little village and finally chose to stay there. Although she is frail both physically and mentally, she is saved by the respect for life of the minority people.

The movie also explored the non-material side to China’s cultural heritage.

Through the film, Mrs. Chouchou lets people know what she believes true love to be. It also offered the audience a fresh hope for the development of Chinese cinema.

Reported by: Feng Jiayang
Edited by: Arthars