Nuan - A Film Adapted from Mo Yan's Novel

Directed by Huo Jianqi
Written by Qiu Shi
Novel:
Mo Yan
Starring Guo Xiaodong
Teruyuki Kagawa
Li Jia
Music by Bao San
Cinematography Sun Ming
Distributed by China:
Huaxia Film Distribution Company
Release date(s) Tokyo:
November 4, 2003
Running time 109 min.
Country China
Language Mandarin

Nuan is a 2003 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. The film won the Grand Prix at the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of author Mo Yan's short story, The White Dog and the Swing. The film is set in Maoyuan, a small and ancient village in Jiangxi. Nuan's production was delayed by the outbreak of SARS in 2002-2003, making it miss a planned debut at the Venice Film Festival that September.

Plot

Like Huo's Postmen in the Mountains, Nuan is a rural drama. The film follows Lin Jinghe, a young man who, for the last ten years, has been living in the big city. When he returns home, he runs into his childhood love, Nuan. Years earlier, Nuan and Jinghe had been schoolmates. Nuan, the most popular girl in school, had fallen in love with an acrobat from a traveling troupe. When the acrobat eventually abandons her, Nuan finds herself drawn to Jinghe. One day, while playing with Jinghe, Nuan is permanently injured when she falls off a swing. Jinghe, seeing an opportunity to escape the small village heads to the city, but promises that he will be back for Nuan. Like the acrobat, however, he soon forgets about his childhood love. Now, ten years later, he has finally returned. Nuan, however, has married a local mute.

Nuan used to be a  healthy and beautiful girl.

Nuan and Lin Jinghe spent happy time.

Ten years later, when Lin Jinghe  finally returned to the village, he found Nuan had married a local mute and become a countrywoman.