In the Kachin village of Gongyin on the China-Myanmar border, women are culturally positioned as the foundation of the ethnic group. Yet, does this culturally assigned “honor” translate into respect and fairness of females?
This anthropological documentary interweaves the lives of two young Jingpo Women at different stages of their life journey: Sun Jiangfeng, a university student in Chengdu, who critically reflecting on her identity and position in the culture, and Tang Chengshuang, a young girl growing up within the local primary school who is still forming her viewpoint to the village.
This documentary witness their interactions with animals, vibrant Jingpo ceremonies, housework, and even record their recalls of poignant pasts. Sun Jiangfeng declared during an interview that, “women don’t need excessive care; they need equality. They are capable of accomplishing number of things themselves.” A revealing scene happened when I show the documentary to other college women: numerous mothers instinctively cover their daughters’ eyes and ears, which reflects the complacency spectrum of awareness and response within the community regarding gender roles. In a single village, some people saw the inequality issue and act (like Sun Jiafeng), some people cannot or do not see the issue, and some people painfully aware the issue yet immobilized by cultural inertia.
Ultimately, this documentary aims to portray the nuanced reality of ethnic minority women on China’s borders. Through the life experience of Sun Jiafeng and Tang Chengshuang, this documentary demonstrates the intricate interplay of Jingpo traditions, forces of modernization and evolving gender norms that shaping female existence and identity. The documentary is also trying to poses a universal question: how can people truly see and understand the authentic needs f women, and effectively support their journey towards empowerment and self-determination properly?
Directed by Yining Zhu (China)