Original subtitles

Fenfen, 4 years old

Look!

Come here and take a look, Fenfen!

Look!

I would do it better than you...

That wood is not enough!

What are you doing?

Yingying, 10 years old

Come here.

Do you want to die?

No, I'm scared...

I'm gonna beat you!

Oh! That hurts!

Zhenzhen, 6 years old

Don't cry!

Now I'm going to take the clamps...

Stop!

Stop it, you two!

What should I do with you?

You could get hurt...

I'll tell dad!

Stand up,

Come on, stand up! Let's go!

Dad is gonna beat you!

Whose boots are these?

They are really worn out!

It would be better if you put them in water...

You should do it exactly like this...

Watch out, your feet!

Like this...

That's the way to beat my boots...

What is this?

Whose is this?

One is of Zhenzhen... One is mine!

Come on, on the foot! Come on! Come on!

Look! A little house...

A little house of stone!

It's all dirty!

« My love didn't pass the mountains...

All that remains is a little for you and a little for me... »

I'm going there to take a look!

Go and sit down!

I'm going to cut it!

You can't do it!

Give me the keys! You'll loose them...

- Eh? - The keys!

These keys?

Give them to me!

- So? - No!

Then I'm going to turn off the light

and you're not going to see anything anymore!

Ok!

Really?

Yes!

Don't turn the lamp! It's full of oil!

Again!

Come here! Let's go play!

Let's go!

Yes, let's go!

Come on!

Wait! Don't go any further!

Yanyan, the cousin, 8 years old

Are you stuck?

Come inside, it's hot.

Xiaopu, the cousin, 9 years old

Zhu Fulian, the aunt

It's the other boot...

Take it off.

Give it to me...

Look, pigs in love!

I'm going to put it...

- Zhenzhen! - Yes?

What?

I can't find it...

Let's go!

Not like this!

Timewaster!

Go home, now!

What about Yanyan?

Where is Yanyan?

There!

Zhenzhen, help me!

Take some!

Like that, look...

Fast!

You lift it and I move it.

First these ones on the bottom.

The little ones, too!

Fast! Hurry up...

We're almost done!

Faster! What are you waiting for?!

Yanyan!

Yanyan!

Yanyan!

Yes?

Call your sister and we'll be faster!

We have to sort here, clean everything...

Move everything up there.

Here!

We're only missing two lessons.

Only two lessons left.

We arrived here...

So did we.

We are here now...

Where?

Here.

What did you do?

We are on the fifth lesson, you aren't?

I know everything from this lesson!

Fenfen.

Yes!

Yingying?

They're calling for you!

You still need some more?

You're dripping everywhere!

Don't scare them, let them pass.

One more and it's enough.

Yanyan, do something!

Move frome there!

You... In the sty, move!

Can I also crush the potatoes?

I want to crush them, too!

Be careful!

Ok!

- Mom! - Yes?

See if the mash is cooked...

I sleep here, you there, all right?

Lie down here.

But it's wet!

The blanket is wet, too.

To bed!

Come on!

Fenfen, it's not wet, it's warm!

Zhenzhen, your clothes will get wet!

Stop!

I'll tell grandpa!

Close it!

Turn off the tap!

No!

Who got wet?

Who was calling me?

Is it so, Yingying?

Who was it?

- Did somebody call me? - Yes, Fenfen!

Oh! What's all this smoke?

I'm going to blow!

No! Get out of there!

Take this!

What a nice smell!

Should we add some more?

What are you doing?

Look at my feet...

My boots are ok now.

Look at my toes...

They're all wet...

All rotten!

Look, Yingying!

Feet like a dead man!

You're even more wet...

There's no match!

You wanna bet who's more wet?!

I'm just a little wet!

Put some more wood to dry the shoes.

Today we dry yours and tomorrow mine!

Aren't they dry yet?

Not yet?

No!

Then go on...

Should we add more wood?

Better.

« My love, I won't forget you... »

I'll take care of the fire!

Is yours hot?

It's hot...

Mine is hot!

This one is hot.

This one is a little hot...

But not too much.

Do you know that he let us use the rifle to play?

So let's go tiger hunting!

Tiger hunting!

Look!

I saw a flea!

I can't reach it.

Me neither.

You can't, either!

Ah! Here it is!

Ehi! Dad is back!

Dad's home!

I'm going to dad!

Dad!

Fenfen has attached to the door...

I tied a rope to the door.

So we can't reach it!

Look, what a long rope...

Dad!

You know that Zhenzhen...

Her feet got hurt?

What are you doing?

What is it you're doing?

Wash up and go to bed!

- Dad! - We wash up.

And then to bed.

It's better to wash with hot water.

Go fill up the bucket, Zhenzhen.

Good!

Put it down!

This is too hot!

- It burns? - No.

Dad look, my hands are black!

Wash them good!

You're dirty like a little pig!

Roll up your sleeves!

Fenfen, I show you how.

She's too little to wash on her own.

I'll wash alone after you!

You got dad's hands dirty.

Empty the bucket when you're finished.

That's it?

Yes.

I haven't washed myself in a long time!

Oh yes? But now you're clean.

We haven't washed ourselves since you went away!

All this time...

Yes, for years!

Years without washing?

Yes!

Sun Shunbao, the father, 32 years old

Be careful! Let me finish!

One each!

Careful!

It would have been better to use the brush...

Put in some more noodles and add water.

Sit down!

Is it clean? Go and take some water.

If I could find, let's say, 2000 yuan,

call the procuress and you reach an agreement.

She won't ask for much.

Once you give her the money,

if it's enough for her,

you won't have to worry anymore.

If she takes the money,

the woman will agree.

I would like to set things straight,

that woman lives too far away...

Maybe with money she can come closer.

Some people are only convinced by money!

Dad, Zhenzhen's belly hurts.

Go to sleep, Fenfen.

What if the money is not enough?

When should your wife be back?

I don't even know where she is!

Give me the bowl.

United in life and in death...

Do you think I could ever meet that woman?

At dawn?

When I go out with the flock.

Or you could wait for her.

Yes, but...

Are these noodles enough?

Yes.

Maybe not, in the mean time I serve these.

Take a spoon.

Is the bowl clean?

You can change it if it's dirty.

It's ok, it's clean.

And the spoon? Take the small one.

Which one? They're the same.

Do you think I could meet that woman?

So we can have our lunch for tomorrow.

Girls, the noodles are ready!

Fenfen, are you done?

You don't want anymore?

Give to your sister what you don't want.

Let her stay seated.

Go near the fire,

or out there.

Leave her.

Yingying, are you eating it all?

Yingying is finishing an entire bowl.

She eats like a grown-up...

She was outside for two days,

when she was watching the well.

She fell asleep there...

She tied the bull with a rope,

but when she woke up the bull was gone.

Xiao Hua tried to make up for it with money,

offering foods,

but there was no trace of the bull.

She even took Fenfen by an ear.

Let her eat as much as she want.

Afterwards she can go play.

- Do you want any more? - Yes!

That's enough!

Yingying found it.

We searched everywhere!

Some people were talking about it,

or we would have never found it.

The bull ended up in a slope.

Somebody took it and then left it there.

After that it was always behind grandpa...

I patted it.

Everything turned out ok!

Tomorrow prepare something for Yingying,

if they have some straw, take some,

or we have to buy it. Some clothes, too...

The clothes are still ok.

Meimei prepared everything for the job.

I took something to thank her.

But how are you going to work with Yingying?

Let her stay here, buy a pair of boots.

She needs waterproof boots.

What's the arrangement with the bus?

It will stop along the road.

Yingying can stay with me.

You should be able to work in Tonghai for some time easily.

You will come to live with me.

Stay here.

We'll help each other.

I'm not abandoning you.

Grandpa is here...

Yes, I'm here...

I'm serious...

Soon it will be new year's day,

and I'll give you five cents.

But not more.

What do you say?

If you go to school here, one hundred yuan won't be enough.

It wouldn't even help if you were to eat with uncle and aunt.

So when the school day ends,

you'll go back to grandpa's home.

Dad will be back in a month.

As I said already.

It won't be so easy,

especially if I won't be able to earn enough...

If I can't earn enough, I'll come back on foot!

160 yuan only for the girls' travel!

But school is the most expensive thing...

This I don't know, but you have to think about it.

I can't even help you at home...

Now is October...

But they shouldn't cause you any trouble.

In two months will be vacation.

October, November and December. Three months...

Your father will be back for vacation.

- Schools are to expensive in the city. - New year's day will come soon!

Stand up.

Come, I've got something for you!

Damn! You have too many fleas!

This flea... I'm going to crush it now!

Crush it!

Hold still, you have too many of them!

Tomorrow on the bus they're going to eat you!

- Aren't you afraid? - And if I don't go by bus?

And how would you go?

By running!

By running? And how far do you think you can get?

Not even if you ran 100 days...

I'd really like to know how many days it would take.

Stand up, it's your turn!

Come on, next!

I'm talking to you...

We're going to play outside after!

Come!

Stand up, don't lie on the ground!

If you cry, dad's not going to take you!

Stand up!

Stop! All right?

Come on!

Yes or no?

Do you want?

I want a sweet...

The fruit one...

What are you talking about?

I have to take those fleas off!

Listen, if you don't want to...

And on the ground again!

To hell!

I don't care!

The dog hasn't eaten.

It doesn't matter.

Should I give him anything?

Yes, give him something.

I put the keys here.

If you need to, take hers.

Don't let her lose it.

There is only one!

I already lost one.

Then be careful.

If you lose it, it's a problem.

Give me the keys

tomorrow before leaving.

The potatoes need to be put in the pot.

If you don't do it now, you have to do it later.

Wash up good.

Like this.

To bed.

Yes, dad!

Look...

- This blanket... - It's dirty!

Cover up well.

How fast!

Did you get dirty?

Are you hurt?

Hurry up!

Two grownups?

Just me and the girls.

Like I said.

Just two?

10 yuan each.

Go up.

You can't reach it!

Come on, go up!

We have your spot, true.

With whom did you talk?

With that fellow...

I asked for two spots,

but I didn't write down the numbers.

Did you also call for your father?

Yes, for us three.

- Is he also coming? - No!

There are two buses,

we try to fill them up,

that's why I waited before leaving.

How many people usually?

A dozen...

Usually workers...

When they call we have to wait.

Take the keys, mom, I'm going to play.

Mom!

Don't scream.

Don't you see I'm busy?

I want this.

I'll open it.

Go watch after the sheep!

But it's time for the lesson!

Why do you need it?

Do I have to ask the teacher to leave?!

I'm not going!

Let the potatoes pass!

Careful, be careful!

Xiyangtang elementary school, November 2010.

Everybody knew how much...

Mei Lanfang's eyes were expressive.

Thanks to a lot of hard study,

Mei Langfang established...

worldwide fame...

as Maestro of the Opera of Beijing!

- Once more! - From the start!

Two times more!

Lesson 14.

Mei Langfang studied art...

Calm down!

I can't do this exercise!

I know the whole text by heart!

I know seven rows!

By heart?

Take out your notebook.

Fill it up.

Here!

Go on!

Where's the lamb?

- Yingying, where are the sheep? - Down there!

Hurry!

Hurry up and finish!

- Do you want another? - No, that's enough.

Should I give you another?

No! We won't have anything left.

Yonggao, 11 years old.

Hello!

What's the situation?

Still some more.

There is manure, we don't have baskets.

We produce a lot of manure here...

Fill the basket, I'll come back if needed.

What time is it?

What time is it?

11:30.

How many sheep do you have?

Seven!

Does it hurt?

It's full!

Try to put it on your shoulder...

- Pick up what fell down. - What?

Pick it up and put it in the basket.

But it won't fit!

Yes...

Come back...

Yongfeng, 10 years old

You can't bring that.

You have to go.

You have to go.

It's full.

This way we have emptied two baskets.

- Do I take away the basket? - Yes.

We fill it up.

They came to live with us,

since the mother left.

The father is working in the city,

their house collapsed.

How about you and I go play?

Why?

Take this away.

Help me lift it up.

Yongjin, 9 years old.

Go, I'll continue here.

Near the pit?

Yes!

Up there?

Alongside the cliff.

On the other side?

No, not across.

Ok!

Faster!

All right.

- Come pick up here. - All right.

Without crossing the road!

Hurry up!

Yes.

Let's go!

That's enough.

It's full.

What's with that dog running?

Always keep the sheep in front of you.

- Did you start warming up the food? - No.

Isn't it better here?

Yingying, can you go pick up some pine cones?

Yes, grandpa asked me.

Ah!

Yingying!

What's with you?

Why did you hit me?

Let go of me!

[Jiaojiao, 6 years old.] You deserved it...

[Jiaojiao, 6 years old.] What do you want me to do?

She was leaning against the wall of my house!

When?

When she went to Song Yingying.

And she was leaning?

Yes, against the wall in the courtyard, the unsafe one.

And so.... You hit her?

I didn't!

And so when did you do it?

That day when you were bringing wood...

I don't remember...

Why did you hit Jiaojiao?

She didn't want to help me!

I asked her to help me...

Jiaojiao, leave her!

Dirty liar!

You're a liar!

Yingying!

Yes!

- Yingying! - Yes!

Bring the sheep inside!

Were you still studying?

The sheep will all go to the butcher,

how are we going to do that?

Can you do it?

Aren't you coming?

Will that dog bite?

Take a stick if you're afraid.

Watch out for the dog!

He's behind the door!

A dog can always bite...

Village of Laoyangwo, at the Baisong family.

The spices!

It's missing salt!

It's not ready yet!

Is the sauce ready?

Here!

Dinner's ready! Everybody sit!

Let's eat, we take home what remains.

Settle down and stand still.

- Ah, you're back? - Yes.

- Where have you been? - In Laoyanjiao.

Did you come back today?

- Where do you sleep? - You arrived at the right moment.

I've been in the kitchen since yesterday!

It really was a nice fat pig!

It still needs salt!

The sauce is still not right...

Be careful, don't put too much!

I'll leave it there.

Here's the sauce, help yourselves!

I'm going to take some.

Move!

Pass me the bowl!

- No thanks. - Take!

What a dinner tonight!

Even electricity is working!

Let's enjoy it!

Maybe the project will be suspended...

Today it's like this, tomorrow? Who knows...

With all this talk about new villages...

Liu Kaimin, the village head

- What about those new villages? - There is one near here.

Like Fengshuilin,

Jianshan or Shikanzi.

They're important villages.

They're all built with concrete.

So they create jobs, but in the mean time people are hungry...

They offer electricity, without asking for money.

These new villages also provide health insurance.

But I explained to the directors

that I wouldn't dare asking you for more money.

I acted like I had already asked you that,

they have to deal with that!

An increase of ten yuan each year,

we can't do that!

It will be even more than that!

Yes, probably.

They wanted an answer before the 10th.

I said no,

so they'll send someone.

Looks like there are people that, for 100 yuan,

will come and take the animals.

Anyway, I'll submit

your decision concerning the taxes.

They may say they want them,

getting them is another thing!

I can't do anything else.

The chief said that if we had met sooner,

he would have been present.

But he had to present a report for the 10th...

Today is the 18th!

I don't believe he's going to come.

If he doesn't come here by tomorrow night,

I don't think he will anymore...

We'll see about it tomorrow,

or else there's no point in meeting.

I already said everything tonight.

We've been sitting all evening!

Stay there, Jiaojiao!

Their pigsties are still empty!

We're leaving...

Let's go back, it's already after nine,

or we're never going to wake up tomorrow.

Ask your cousin to come and play,

he must come over one of these days!

In these noodles...

there's a bit of everything, but no lamb!

Who knows how it's done...

Where's my stool?

Look...

Oh! Guo Baozhang on TV!

In 2011, Sun Shunbao came back to the village with his 2 daughters, a woman and her daughter. His salary didn't allow him to keep living in Tonghai.

Find some leaf for the lamb.

Don't push it!

It needs to eat, we'll buy something if needed.

Go on!

Leave it, Fenfen.

That's good, Fenfen! Let it eat!

Dad, I can't...

I can't...

hold her in my arms!

How silly!

Here, eat!

Don't scare him.

Lower, don't you see?

Take the noodles, so we can eat.

All of them?

Let's eat, then I'm going to search for that sheep.

Did you put in oil?

They're too long!

Even the broken ones?

If you can do it...

What are you doing?

Wait!

Don't throw them, slowly!

- Go ahead - Good!

We haven't put in any salt!

We didn't buy any...

Wait, I'll do it.

It's almost finished.

Did you stir it well?

Slowly...

There wasn't much left.

There's also this!

- Yanyan! - Yes!

Why did you take the beige jacket?

This bowl is dirty.

Fenfen washed it!

Snake!

Dad, Zhenzhen washed it...

How's that possible if the bowls were all together?

You're all against me, because I'm little!

You little?

If all you three go against me...

I cleaned it after that Zhenzhen washed it!

I'll look after the sheep and then I'll wash it.

There's no need for you to do it. I'll wash it!

While I was washing my hair,

she pushed me.

You'll see when it will be your turn!

Who was it?

Yingying?

Yes, it happened like I said!

Who wants some more?

Serve some more.

I'll take some more.

I'm starving...

The cat!

Watch out for the cat, Yanyan!

Yanyan, I'll take some more.

I'll finish your portion!

Watch out for the smoke!

Dad!

Are you full?

Now I can burp!

All right.

Another one!

And another!

Zhenzhen also ate a lot!

I'm going to look for the sheep,

I'll be back after dark.

If I can't find it, I'll come back to prepare the horses.

Will it take long?

One hour should be enough.

I'm off!

Let the lamb eat!

Quick, Zhenzhen!

Don't stand there!

A little more effort! Lower the branch,

and hold it.

Here's a leaf! I didn't say it to you!

Come on! Eat!

Didn't I tell you to leave the horses here, and you let them go down!

Let's go! In the street!

Slowly! The mule!

I said here!

Take one!

We're almost there!

Stop!

There are two horses here,

one is here and the mule's there.

What's the matter?

Stand still!

Damn you!

What's wrong with this mule?

Go away! Get lost!

Will one basket be enough?

Get lost, I said!

Do you want the rod, stupid mule?!

Free ride eater!

Stop!

I recommend you don't leave anything.

Stop!

When it comes to fleas, Fenfen is unbeatable!

Sit a little further away.

Stay calm.

Stop! Sit down!

I said sit down, scoundrels!

Keep on going, and I'll show you!

Stop! We had enough!

Why are you looking at me like that?

Keep on being such a hard head and you'll see!

So many fleas! Scary...

Come wash here!

I want to play, too!

"The best in the world...

is my mom!

My mom is...

of the whole world..."

Don't bite me!

"The most beautiful is my mom!

Children who have a mom...

The best in the world

is my mom..."

At 3200 meters above the sea level, in Yunnan's southwestern region, live 80 families.

Directed by WANG Bing

DP HUANG Wenhai, LI Peifeng, WANG Bing