The Road (Romance / Completed)

Li Chunfen lives in a small rural town in 1970's China working as ticket girl on the rural bus line. She beguiles the passengers with her stark beauty and her zest for life. Her charms have also captured bus driver, Master Cui, who secretly harbors a crush for her.

It is on the bus that Li meets Liu Fendou, a Doctor from Shanghai and experiences the pain of first love. Though their love is forbidden, it still evolves under the scrutiny of family and government; both Li and Liu are unable resist temptation any longer. Caught in the midst of a sexual tryst they are separated and Li is sent to a labor camp as punishment. She will never see the Doctor ever again.

Ostracized from community and family, Li's only remaining friend is Master Cui. Out of circumstance their friendship grows, Master Cui hopes to save Li's honor with the offer of marriage. Li accepts. But their love does not bring with it the emotion and passion Li felt for her Doctor and thus they are unable to consummate their relationship.

Tragedy strikes and a bus accident leaves Cui in a coma, Li is left alone yet again. Time passes and after ten years Cui dies. With the arrival of the twenty first century Li is confronted with the fact that she will perhaps never again know the passion or her youth, will never re-awaken her sexuality. She decides to confront her past and to returns to the place of her youth and her beloved bus line. Once home she is overcome with memories of the past and a renewed hope for the future.

A film of a rare and delicate nature, a sweeping look at one woman's pursuit for life and love, the trials and tribulations we all face, and no matter how much we want to leave the past behind, in order to move on into the future we must return to the road we have once travelled...

Cast: Wei Fan, Yuan Nie, Jingchu Zhang (Credits may not be contractual)

Director: Jiarui Zhang

Writers: Daju Yuan, Jiarui Zhang

Producer: Li Ling

Derek Elley, Variety:

"Technically, film is topnotch, from Lin Liangzhong's non-exoticized lensing of the Yunnan locations to period details in costumes and props. But it's the perf by Zhang -- who last year starred in the same helmer's more colorful "A Bride from Shangri-La," also set in Yunnan -- that elevates pic throughout."