Bai Mei

Set in the People's Republic of China during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the Chinese countryside. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students.

Lu Ban's second short titled The Man Who Doesn’t Bother about Trifles (不拘小节的人 bùjū xiǎojié de rén). He carefully toned down the political satire here, switching his target to intellectuals instead of bureaucrats. The main character, Li Shaobai, is a rude literary critic who goes to a conference to lecture about satirical literature. Li is absolutely full of himself, and constantly misunderstands other people. Like Before the New Director Arrives, The Man Who Doesn’t Bother about Trifles was greeted with plenty of positive responses. Still, while Lu tried to be more careful with this second short, this didn’t stop some critics from taking issue with its ridiculous main character and humor.

In 1894 the Japanese Imperial Navy provokes the Chinese navy to test defenses. Some Chinese want to make concessions while others want to fight. When Japan invades, some naval officers put up a heroic resistance.

Two famous comedians from pre-Revolution days perform a series of sketches in a theatre for a group of Party cadres. The stage performances blend over into absurdist, self-contained fantasy episodes where the two comics allegorically parody Party propaganda and ideological orthodoxy.

"Mom wants me to be married" is based on Liu Zhen's novel "Sister Chun". Li Yuchun is not only capable, beautiful but stubborn. Her Beicun Mutual Aid Group is connected to Nancun Cooperative Land. In production, Yuchun met Liu Minghua of Nancun Cooperative. Ming Hua was simple and enthusiastic, and Yu Chun gradually fell in love with him. In a storm, Yuchun's ox cart got stuck in the river and Minghua came when she was in distress. She helped her push her ashore, put her straw hat on Yuchun, and went home in the rain. Yuchun knew that Minghua's family was not good, so she carried shoes to Minghua.

Ma Lan (Qin Yi), who was born in the city, was unwilling to be a mediocre housewife and determined to take part in the surging socialist construction. Her parents did not agree with her plans, but she resolutely goes to the construction site. There others look at her strangely, but Ma Lan does not care. The master Hu Agen looks down on women, dismissing Ma Lan, who decides to learn to drive a loader. Even in secret if she must.