A story depicting, with lyricism and humour, a romantic obsession that spans several decades and the enduring folk culture that expresses it, shot in the splendid landscapes of the Shanxi Province.
Growing up in a poor Chinese village, amidst the resplendent scenery of the Shanxi Province, six year-old Tiedan falls in love with his beautiful neighbour Mei – and this love will never die. However, her family are performers of a folk-singing style called Er ren tai, and they are forced to move to Mongolia when their art is banned under the Cultural Revolution, while the young man howls with pain over his lost love. Over a decade passes, and Mei returns to the village with her three gorgeous daughters in tow. A new story begins to unfold between the now grown-up Tiedan and Mei's daughters.
»A tale of love, memories and music concerned with the insidious and prolonged after-effects of China’s Cultural Revolution, it’s an on-paper melodrama imbued with musical energy and comical mischief by an excellent ensemble cast.«
- Michael Pattison, Eye For Film
Hao Jie
Born in 1981 in Gujiagou, China. Graduated from the Beijing Film Academy's Directorial Department. His first feature, Single Man, which competed already in the New Directors section at the 2010 San Sebastian FF also won the Special Jury Prize at Tokyo's FILMeX film festival. The Love Songs of Tiedan is his second feature film.