"The Village Wives," a movie depicting the lives and struggles of rural left-behind women, premieres across China on Feb. 6.
Though screened simultaneously nationwide, the gala premiere was held in its shooting location in Jiayu County in central China's Hubei Province to pay respects to the local community and government who made the shooting of the film possible with their all-out support.
The phrase "left-behind women" refers to village housewives whose husbands left for the city to find better jobs.
The movie follows the character Zhang Ruolan (played by Zhuang Qingning), a left-behind woman who lives in Hubei Province. She organized the women villagers in her hometown and started their own vegetable trading to supplement the income of their starving village. Their business succeeded and made the husbands leave the city and return home to their wives for good. The movie projects hope of family reunions and saved marriages.
Aside from the dramatic elements, the movie also aims to show the audiences practical solutions to agricultural problems currently being faced by China's rural communities.
Audiences agreed that most rural woman, especially mature ones, know the ways of diligence and hard work, devoting their lives to the improvement of their families and their communities in general.
The movie was directed by Shiao Loong and produced by director of the China News Service Hubei Branch Zhang Dunhua. As part of his research, Shiao roamed the countrysides for three years, interviewing village wives and studying their conditions. The knowledge he acquired later became the basis of the film.
Local resident Xie Hong, who played a character in the movie, said that she is very excited to see herself in the big screen. She added that all the village people are looking forward to the premiere.
The movie began shooting on Oct. 18, 2013, in Jiayu County and finally received release approval on April 22, 2014, from the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.