Huang Xiaolei

During the Cultural Revolution, the distinguished Marshal He Long is denounced and persecuted.

A 20-year old young man who has been brought up by a foster mother in the countryside has fallen in love with another foster child in the same "family" and the two have decided to get married. Just after this decision, the young man's real mother contacts him and asks him to come and stay with her and his father (she is a high-ranking Party official). She is against his marriage but her husband is not. In the end, the young man decides to marry at the home of his real parents, and when his foster mother shows up, his real mother treats her like dirt - it turns out that the foster mother was a concubine for awhile. Before things deteriorate any further, the husband has some news for his wife that helps her to see the foster mother in a different light.

Inspired by Haining shadow puppetry, one of China’s first designated Intangible Cultural Heritage arts, the film follows Da Jiang, a humble performer in the Kunqu opera troupe "Wufeng Ban," secretly in love with his fellow performer Tianyin, who is betrothed to their senior, Changhong. Gifted with a sensitivity to light and shadow, Da Jiang discovers an old box containing shadow puppets and a script of The Tale of Hibiscus, which ignites his artistic passion. When Changhong loses his voice before a major farewell performance, Da Jiang steps in, winning Tianyin's gratitude. But rumors spread after she is seen attending his shadow puppet show, and Da Jiang leaves in silence to avoid conflict. Tianyin and Changhong go to Shanghai, while Da Jiang retreats to Yanguan Town, living aboard an abandoned boat and vowing to revive the once-glorious art of Haining shadow puppetry. There, he founds his own troupe: “Jianghai Ban.”

The police investigate the death of a clothing store owner.

Chinese movie