By Marlo Poras
A tale of two sisters living in the shadow of two Chinas, this documentary by award-winning filmmaker Marlo Poras (Mai's America; Run Grany Run) follows Juma and Latso, young women from one of the world's last remaining matriarchal societies. Thrust into the worldwide economic downturn after losing jobs in Beijing and left with few options, they return to their remote Himalayan village. But growing exposure to modernity has irreparably altered traditions of the Mosuo, their tiny ethnic miniority, and home is not the same. Determined to keep their family out of poverty, one sister sacrifices her educational dreams and stays home to farm, while the other leaves, trying her luck in the city. The changes test them in unexpected ways. This visually stunning film highlights today's realities of women's lives and China's vast cultural and economic divides while offering rare views of a surviving matriarchy.
Reviews
~ "A well-shot, confidently crafted feature with the firm narrative drive of an old-fashioned novel, one that pulls its leading figures' fates at the fore . . . " - Dennis Harvey, Variety
~ "A quietly stunning portrait of modern China." - Boston Globe
~ "Does what good documentaries should: provide insight into the unseen." - Loren King, Rocky Mountain Outlook
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