Cast overview: | |||
Lin Liu | ... | Tao Lan | |
Bingbing Li | ... | Chen Jie | |
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Yeding Li | ... | Tao Airong |
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Song Liang | ... | Yu Zhenggao |
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Yun Li | ... | Yu Xiaoqin |
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Su Wang | ... | Policeman |
Tao Lan and Yu Xiaoqin are teenage stepsisters. They go to the same high school, sleep in the same bedroom, but couldn't be more different. The first is wild, a bit of a vagabond, while the other is diligent and studies hard. One day Yu Xiaoqin steals money from her father and puts the blame on Tao Lin, who accidentally kills her sister while attempting to prove her innocence, and is put in jail. 17 years later, a woman by now, she is allowed out and is escorted by a guard to find her home long demolished. The two go to the new address of the ageing parents, and the guard becomes an eyewitness to the difficult reunion and the girl's remorse, the anxiety and fear of the mother and the stepfather's silent struggle to rise above his pain and find forgiveness. Written by Anonymous
While working within the system, Yuan Zhang's (or is it Zhang Yuan?)latest film 17 YEARS gives the Chinese totalitarian system a human face. The title, referring to 17 YEARS of separation, also refers to an important year (age) in two of the main characters' lives. It is Zhang Yuan's best work to date, and quite possibly the most realistic, impartial portrayal of China's totalitarian system in recent years. I highly recommend it.