Xiaojiao renjia

In the Shanxi countryside (east of Beijing) far from the lustre of “modern China”, an elderly couple continue to work the land for their living. Mrs Bai had her feet bandaged at the age of seven. Forty years ago, she married again and raised five children with Liu her husband. Now, the children have no time to come and help in the fields, as they are too busy earning their own living. So, each Yuan is a fortune, each step is an effort. Life has become expensive, and pain must be put aside for work. There is little left in society to offer them relief, except the solidarity of a few neighbours. When the filmmaker wants to film the old woman’s bruised feet, her husband protests, as it is still forbidden to reveal the suffering of women. This cruel practice, which submitted women to male tradition, serves to link the pains of the past and those present.