In The Taste of Rice Flower, Chinese director Song Pengfei explores the relationship between the protagonist, Ye Nan, an ethnic Dai woman who returns to her village after years of working in the busy city of Shanghai, and her rebellious teenage daughter, Nan Hang, who had been left to the care of her grandfather. The film incorporates and represents the Dai minority’s lifestyle and their people, as it traces Ye Nan and Nan Hang’s struggles to reconnect and bridge their disparities. The dynamics between the distanced mother and daughter reveal a generational, cultural and emotional divide. Through the depiction of this fragile relationship, the director delves into larger, socio-economic issues and the various conflicts that pervade throughout contemporary Chinese society.
The idyllic, pastoral, landscapes of Yunnan Province serve as a deceptive and vivid backdrop, juxtaposed against the brewing conflicts that ensue within the marginalised community of the Dai minority living on the Sino-Burmese border. Faced by the pressures brought about by the rapid modernisation of China, rural areas and marginalised communities struggle to catch up with the rapid transformation of the country. The film focuses on the “left-behind children”, or the líu shǒu ér tóng (留守儿童), whose lives become a microcosm of larger social conflicts apparent within the landscape, breathing light to struggles faced by ethnic minorities in China.
The film successfully portrays the issue of the rural-urban divide in China through a cinematic lens. The parents of the “left-behind children” rarely return, as seen in the film. They are not present to support the child’s growth and maturation, only coming back when an emergency occurs. A child falls severely ill, and only then are her parents able to put a stop to their work and make their way back to the isolated regions of the village. During a cultural performance, the middle-aged female dancers moan about having to dress up in exotic tribal wear. A man modestly boasts about the solar panels he affixed onto his electric tricycles. The children, however, are the most susceptible to threats posed by this conflict between the old and new. The lack of infrastructure and parental support creates a hostile and unstable environment for the left-behind children, who are more prone to facing challenges, not only in their education and physical well-being, but also in creating healthy relationships. With limited parental guidance, the children of the village spoil themselves by inhaling snacks whilst fiddling on their smartphones on their way to school. The daughter, Nan Hang, steals money from the local temple to go to an all-night game arcade, only to be found by her distressed mother. The tumultuous relationship between Ye Nan and her daughter, and their failure to connect with each other, highlights the effects of this rural-urban divide.
The lack of emotional connection between the mother and the daughter is explored through the traditional dance that brings Ye Nan back to her roots and culture. It is also the catalyst that allows for the mother and daughter to reconnect, allowing them to work together on their unstable relationship. The cinematographer, Liao Pen-Jung, focuses the camera on obscure objects and settings which act as visual metaphors for the conflict between traditional village life and the superficiality that comes with modernity. Danish butter cookies become symbolic of city life. The buzzing fluorescent light emanating from mobile phones and light fixtures highlights the encroaching sense of modernisation upon the village. A soft drink can in a cave captures the conflict between the old and new.
The film also serves as a representation of the visually stunning and untouched areas of China that are rarely glorified or celebrated by the media who are consumed with observing China’s economic development and its megacities. Life is more peaceful and idle up on the mountains, and there is a stronger sense of community.
The Taste of Rice Flower is an enlightening portrayal of human relationships and the emotive plight of families torn apart by the rapid urbanisation of China. On the surface, the film only seems to be a mother-daughter story. However, throughout the course of their story, as the two contrasting modes of the world clash, deeper concerns are developed and the film reveals itself to be so much more. Although it has problems remaining consistently engaging throughout, overall, The Taste of Rice Flower is an important film that provides a breathtaking and light-hearted portrayal of severe social issues prevalent in Chinese society today. It is a film that authentically and accurately portrays the often forgotten, far-flung corners of China’s rural areas and the social issues that these communities face.
Written by Bonnie (16) edited by Jessica Ellicott (as part of the Film in Revolt writing mentorship program).