Poverty is a serious topic that touches the audience every time. Poverty is a harsh reality in our society. It is difficult to show a convincing portrayal of poverty and life and the everyday struggles of poor people. It is a sensitive topic to make a film on. Sometimes filmmakers miss the mark by showing poverty in their films. But Movies are a great way to convey a message to society. The movie is a mirror of society and helps to highlight important issues. So here is the list of top 10 Chinese films on poverty:
1. To Live (1994)
To live is a 1994 drama film on the life of a couple who try to survive in changing times of China. The film is set between the time of 1940s during the Chinese civil war and to 1970s during the cultural revolution. The film was banned in China because it portrayed the policies and campaigns of the government in a bad light. However, the film is now available on online platforms in China.
2. Not One Less (1999)
Not one less is a 1999 drama film on a 13-year-old substitute teacher. The village teacher has to leave for a month, and as his replacement, he keeps thirteen years old as a substitute. She was not allowed to use more than one chalk piece because the village couldn't afford it. He afforded her a 10 yuan bonus if she managed to keep all the students in the class for one month. Many students leave their studies to go to a city for work. This film shows the divide between urban and rural areas.
3. Little Big Master (2015)
Little Big Master is a 2015 drama film on the real life of Lilian Lui. The film is about a headmistress of an elite kindergarten who quits her job of the pressure cultural of the education system. She decides to take the job at a less salary at Yuen Tin Kindergarten in Yuen Long to help them from closing. The kindergarten had only five students because they were too poor to study anywhere. The film shows the class divide in the country.
4. Devils On The Doorsteps (2000)
Devils on the doorsteps is a 2000 war drama film on the Japanese invasion of China during World War II. The film is about prisoners. The villagers got the responsibility to keep the prisoners till the new year. The villagers interrogate the prisoners. But the question is will the villagers be able to keep the prisoners till the new year?
5. An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
An elephant sitting still is a 2018 drama film about four people who travel to North China to see an elephant. This film is about the complicated and depressed life of four people and how their life intersects with each other. This film was the first and last film of the director Hu Bo who committed suicide after completing the film.
6. Beijing Bicycle (2001)
Beijing Bicycle is a 2001 drama movie about a teenage boy Guei. Guei is a seventeen years old boy who moves to Beijing to make a living. He used to work as a courier boy in Beijing, where his bicycle got stolen. The film sheds light on the social and economic changes in China.
7. Yellow Earth (1984)
Yellow Earth is a 1984 drama film about a young village girl and a soldier. This film is about a young girl finding her freedom. The soldier visits a village to collect folk songs for the communist revolution. While staying at a peasant's house, he meets the hardworking young girl Cuiqiao.
8. Three Sisters (2012)
Three sisters is a 2012 documentary on three sisters directed by Wang Bing. The documentary is son three sisters(their age is between four and ten years old) who lives in a small village near the border. Their mother abandoned them, and their father worked in the city. They live alone at their family house and work in the agricultural field.
9. 24 City (2008)
24 city is a 2008 documentary on factory workers directed by Jia Zhangke. The documentary focuses on the life of eight factory workers in Chengdu. It shows the experience and emotions of the workers attached to the factory, which will soon demolish to turn it into a modern apartment complex. The documentary records the point of view of workers and how important the factory was to them.
10. After This Our Exile (2006)
After This Our Exile is a 2006 drama film. The film takes place in the 1990s. It is about a son Lok-Yun who gets into the world of stealing because of his father. His father is abusive towards him and is addicted to gambling. His mother was tired of his father’s behavior, and she managed to escape from him. Lok Yun had a very complex relationship with his father.
