Film Club – Youth 芳华

China Exchange held its second film screening on 2 May following A Simple Life with Roger Lee in March. With a turnout of over a 100 audience members, our prudential hall was bustling with anticipation as the lights lowered to showcase Youth 芳华, the latest work directed by Feng Xiaogang.

Set in the backdrop of Mao-era China, Youth follows the lives of members of a military art troupe in the People’s Liberation Army. The film deals with the trauma of war and how their time in service unmistakably affected their lives. Both roars of laughter and quiet sobs could be heard from our audience as the plot unraveled.

Youth was screened in the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and won the Best Film Award at the 12th Asian Film Awards.

Blu-Ray version of the film was available to purchase on the night as well as Yan Geling’s novel of the same name.