Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (2002) Xiao cai feng (original title)

Director:

Sijie Dai

Writers:

Sijie Dai (novel)
Sijie Dai (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

9 October 2002 (France)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Two youths sent for a Maoist "re-education" in the mountains fall in love with the village tailor's granddaughter.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Mountain | Seamstress | Tailor | Literature

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 6 nominations

Cast

Xun Zhou	...	Little Chinese Seamstress
Ye Liu	...	Ma
Kun Chen	...	Luo
Shuangbao Wang	...	Head of the Village
Zhijun Cong	...	Old Tailor
Hongwei Wang	...	Four Eyes
Xiong Xiao	...	Mother of Four Eyes
Zuohui Tang	...	Old Mill Worker
Wei Chen	...	Wife of the Head of the Village
Tianlu Chen	...	Director of the Commune
Qing-yun Fan	...	Doctor
Jie Min	...	Peasant
He Zhang	...	Peasant
Yukun Xu	...	Peasant
Lina Mei	...	Female Villager
Jing Fang	...	Female Villager
Li Peng	...	Female Villager
Heng Fei Zhao	...	Female Villager
Yao Liu	...	Female Villager
Yulin Chen	...	Female Villager
Chun Hua Xu	...	Female Villager
Fang Zong Zhao	...	Female Villager
Wa Su	...	Daughter in Law of the Head of the Village
Quilène Boileux	...	Airport Shop Assistant
Dandan Yang	...	Mrs. Lao
Guy-Pierre Bennet	...	Journalist (voice)

Directed by
Sijie Dai

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sijie Dai		novel
Sijie Dai		screenplay
Nadine Perront

Produced by
Lise Fayolle	....	producer
Bernard Lorain	....	executive producer
Pujian Wang	....	executive producer
Wang Zhebin	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Pujian Wang

Cinematography by
Jean-Marie Dreujou

Film Editing by
Luc Barnier
Julia Gregory

Production Design by
Juiping Cao

Costume Design by
Huamiao Tong

Makeup Department
Guihua Cheng	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Zi An	....	unit manager: Shanghai
Fanny Bourdillon	....	unit manager
Lewu Chen	....	unit manager
Boutboul Déborah	....	unit manager
Xiong Jiang	....	unit manager: Shanghai
Shenlin Li	....	unit manager
Benoît Ouvrier-Bonnaz	....	unit manager
Zhong Yuan Qian	....	unit manager
Yulong Shen	....	unit manager: Shanghai
Roland Thénot	....	unit manager
Jing-Hua Wang	....	unit manager
Qiang Wang	....	unit manager
Dong Lai Wei	....	unit manager: Shanghai
Hong Wu	....	unit manager
Chenhao Yu	....	unit manager
Jun Zhao	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jen Chang Hsien	....	assistant director
Guang Li	....	assistant director
Charles Liu Morel	....	assistant director
Chunlin Zhao	....	assistant director

Art Department
Baihan Hui	....	set dresser
Jian-An Lu	....	set dresser
Hailiang Luo	....	set dresser
Ying Ma	....	assistant art director
Zhang Tian	....	props
Zhuangchun Wu	....	props
Jian Qun Zhang	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Jean-Philippe Callet	....	sound recordist
Jean De Sagey	....	foley recordist
Franck Desmoulins	....	ProTools consultant
Rodolphe Duhamel	....	sound recordist
Li Pei Gen	....	assistant sound
Benjamin Leloch	....	sound recordist (as Benjamin Le Loch)
François Lepeuple	....	foley artist
Sylvain Malbrant	....	assistant sound editor
Olivier Marlangeon	....	foley artist
Michel Monier	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Nicolas Naegelen	....	sound mixer
Nicolas Naegelen	....	sound
Daniel Sobrino	....	sound
Zhe Wang	....	assistant sound
Li Wen	....	assistant sound
Lala Wu	....	sound
Xin Zhan	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Stephane Bidault	....	digital effects supervisor
Pierre Blain	....	digital effects director
Marc-André Brunet	....	visual effects
Christophe Chanvin	....	artistic director
Alain Fauchon	....	optical transfer
Matthias Weber	....	visual effects

Stunts
Hui Xie	....	stunt double: swimming

Camera and Electrical Department
Te Ba	....	grip
Paul-Claude Bessière	....	key grip
Renaud Chassaing	....	first assistant camera
Dong Cong	....	electrician
Zhang Dahai	....	electrician
Zhao Danyang	....	electrician
Luo Dong	....	still photographer
Wei Guo Dong	....	generator operator
Zhang Fengzhu	....	grip
Patrick Gasché	....	electrician
Liu Guangshun	....	grip
Pei Luo	....	video assistant
Michele Mattei	....	special photographer (as Michèle Mattei)
Yang Ning	....	assistant Steadicam operator
Hong Peng	....	second assistant camera
Jean-Claude Reux	....	gaffer
Chen Zhu Xiang	....	Steadicam operator
Niu Yi	....	electrician
Lu Zhixin	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Zhigang Chen	....	dresser
Huani Tong	....	dresser

Editorial Department
Fleur Augustin	....	assistant editor
Fabrice Dequeant	....	color timer
Nicolas Duchemin	....	assistant editor
Zoé Forget	....	post-production coordinator
Alice Godeau	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Ya Dai	....	musician: flute
Can Gao	....	musician: violin
Zhang Gaoxiang	....	musician: dulcimer
Xiaopei Li	....	music recordist
Pujian Wang	....	conductor
Jie Min Yan	....	musician: Chinese violin

Other crew
Tony Krantz	....	press attache
Latifa Laarcy	....	administrator
Li Liang	....	translator
Luc Oeuvray	....	administrator
Laurent Renard	....	press attache
Rafael Schneider	....	making-of director
Dominique Segall	....	press attache
Guixin Zhai	....	administrator
Xia Zhao	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Georges Beaume	....	thanks
Guy-Pierre Bennet	....	thanks
Prune Bergé	....	thanks
Dominique Besnehard	....	thanks
Florence Bitoun	....	thanks
Jacques Bitoun	....	thanks
Jean-François Boyer	....	thanks
Valérie Boyer	....	thanks
Zouhua Chen	....	thanks
Brahim Chioua	....	thanks
Jean-Marie Duchemin	....	thanks
Sylvie El Sayegh	....	thanks
Joy Fleury	....	thanks
Danièle Heymann	....	thanks
Guy Joussemet	....	thanks
Monique Kouznekzoff	....	thanks (as Monique Kouznetzoff)
Tony Krantz	....	thanks
Anne Kuperberg	....	thanks
Pierre Kuperberg	....	thanks
Didier Kustinger	....	thanks
Archie Larochie	....	thanks (as Archie Laroche)
Xin-Min Long	....	thanks
Yong Luo	....	thanks
Zitian Luo	....	thanks
Denis Offroy	....	thanks
Isabelle Peyrefitte	....	thanks
Bernard Pivot	....	special thanks
Marie-Françoise Rousset-Rouard	....	thanks
Yves Rousset-Rouard	....	thanks
Jean-Marie Sénia	....	thanks
Anna Maria Tatò	....	thanks
Perrine Tézé	....	thanks
Shi Zhao	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Les Productions Internationales Le Film
• StudioCanal (in co-production with)
• France 3 Cinéma (in co-production with)
• Les Films de la Suane (in co-production with)
• TF1 Films Production (in co-production with)
• Canal+ (with the participation of)
• Bac Films (with the participation of)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC) (with the participation of)
• China Film (in collaboration with)
• Forbidden City Studios (in collaboration with)
• Philippe Rousselet (in association with)

Distributors

• Empire Pictures (2005) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Empire Pictures (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Ager 3 (2004) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Art Films (2004) (Brazil) (theatrical)
• Arthaus (2004) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Best Film CO (2003) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Evgueni Kondratenko (2006) (Ukraine) (theatrical)
• Filmcoopi Zürich (2002) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Filmladen (2004) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Films de l'Elysée, Les (2003) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Hopscotch Entertainment (2003) (New Zealand) (theatrical)
• Les Films Séville (2002) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Media Asia Group (2003) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• New Select (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• New Vision Film Distribution (2003) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Noah Communication (2002) (Israel) (theatrical)
• Quality Films (2003) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• Schwarz/Weiss Filmverleih (2003) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Sunrise Film Distribution (2004) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• TF1 Films International (2002) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Telexcel (2003-????) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Vértigo Films (2002) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Albatros Film
• Bac Films (France)
• Consórcio Europa Severiano Ribeiro (200?) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Empire Pictures Inc. (2005) (USA) (all media)
• First Run Features (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Intercinema Art Agency (Russia)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Millennium Storm (2004) (Italy) (video)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Seville Pictures (200?) (Canada) (DVD)
• Soda Pictures (UK)
• Television (????) (Romania) (TV)
• Videodis (200?) (France) (DVD)
• YLE Teema (2007) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• AutreChose

Other Companies

• Assurances Continentales, Les  insurance
• Beijing Ltd.  lighting
• CCTV Studio  music recorded at
• Cinerent  lighting (as Cinérent)
• Excalibur  titles
• Hôtel Long Quian, Zhang Jiajia, Hunan  thanks
• J.C.R.  lighting
• Kodak  film stock
• Les Audis de Joinville  sound re-recording
• Les Productions Internationales Le Film  music publisher
• Les habitants de la commune Daping de Zhan  thanks
• Panavision France  camera equipment provided by
• Polyson  sound post-production
• Ruhr Sound Studios  post-production sound services
• Titra Film Paris  subtitles
• Transpalux  lighting
• Unimage  editorial facilities
• Virgin Records  soundtrack
• Warmflash Productions Ltd.  trailer

Also Known As:

"Xiao cai feng" - France (original title)
"The Little Chinese Seamstress" - International (English title)

Runtime:

110 min | France:116 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

France | China

Language:

Mandarin | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:U | Germany:o.Al. | Norway:11 | Philippines:PG-13 | Spain:13 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | Canada:A (Ontario) | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:12 (canton of Zurich) | Malaysia:U | Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Fenghuan, Hunan, China

Company:

Les Productions Internationales Le Film

Trivia:

Filming was allowed in China after seven months negotiations with the authorities, but any projection on Chinese territory was banned.

Soundtrack:

String quartet

A Nostalgic Look at Young People Impacted by the Cultural Revolution

"Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress (Xiao cai feng)" raises the awkward situation of commenting on a semi-autobiographical story which was originally written, then adapted and directed by the person who lived it in the same, beautiful locations where the events that inspired Sijie Dai took place. How much is fiction and how much is docu-drama? And I haven't read the book so I don't know how much he changed.

The basics of the story would seem like a 1940's sci fi allegory of a totalitarian, anti-intellectual society if the Cultural Revolution under the here ubiquitously revered ruler Mao Tse Tung hadn't actually happened, with its anti-literate class-based revenge of kicking the children of the perceived elite out of the cities to rural areas for re-education at rigorous manual labor. In outline, his story is like a real life "Fahrenheit 451" and "the Little Seamstress," the teen ager, played charmingly by Xun Zhou, who gets caught up in a triangle between the out-of-towners, like "Ninotchka." She, startlingly, has far more ambition than the loyal peasant girl in "The Road Home."

So it's hard to tell if the strong condescension in the tone to the local peasantry is what the two young men finally learn to overcome or is somewhat shown to be just as endemic in the Communist Party as is seen at the end they were suppressing the beauty of local traditions almost as much as intellectual influences. Because the premise that transforming aesthetics can only come from outside influences through movies, fashion and Western literature and music just seems anthropologically naive as they poke fun at and trick the locals. We do see that the peasants appreciate story telling, sewing and songs - but only of the most earthy kind until the re-educated sneak in their experiences, disguised as homages to Lenin or Mao. For example, with the almost universality of stringed instruments in human culture, it's hard to believe that peasants would be that skeptical when first exposed to a violin.

The film is at its strongest, and loveliest, when it sticks to the personal relationships that result from contacts with the locals, as human nature is more powerful than ideology and youth is simply irrepressible and non-Orwellian. The romantic triangle plays out beautifully and gently demonstrates male instincts for Pygmalion control, irrespective of politics. The story affirms the Law of Unintended Consequences, heavily symbolized at the end with the coming of a dam on the river that will have the same effect on these towns as the TVA had on now forgotten communities in Appalachia.

This tender and poignant nostalgia is a chronological and thematic prequel to the less optimistic "The World (Shijie)" in showing the impact of globalization on China and its people.