Planting for Life

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Release Date
01 January 2014
01 January 2014
Story:
Old Jia was a white-collar worker who gave up his city life and returned to the countryside with his wife, Lizi. He abandoned chemical fertilizer to practice natural farming. His attitude and philosophy attracted a big group of admirers from the city, whereas local villagers found his approaches disagreeable. When Old Jia finally left and looked back this part of his life, he saw the germination of seeds, the birth of new life, the harvest of crops, and the betrayal of love. And as always, life goes on.
Old Jia was a white-collar worker who gave up his city life and returned to the countryside with his wife, Lizi. He abandoned chemical fertilizer to practice natural farming. His attitude and philosophy attracted a big group of admirers from the city, whereas local villagers found his approaches disagreeable. When Old Jia finally left and looked back this part of his life, he saw the germination of seeds, the birth of new life, the harvest of crops, and the betrayal of love. And as always, life goes on.
Cast

Gu Xiaogang
Director
Director :
Gu Xiaogang
Runtime :
77
Language :
Mandarin, Chinese and English subtitles
Director‘s Statement / Feedback
It has been three years since the shooting. The aunts in the village watched me take a machine and run into the fields. They always complained to me that being a farmer is humble, and being a farmer is bitter. Young people like us seem to be ineffective people when they come here. How can I choose to live in the village. What they often mention is: people in the city try to come to the countryside, and people in the countryside run desperately to the city; for urban people, this is a kind of leisurely stroll in life, and for rural people, it is a This kind of destiny goes upstream. I asked the aunts, "What if no one can farm in the future?" The aunts didn't know what to say, although some people said, "No one is going to plant the fields." I know this is angry. And many people like Lao Jia, who are slowly reshaping the new image of farmers over the past century, can't help but feel gratified. They have the knowledge, a certain culture, a lot of idealism, and there is no lack of enthusiasm. There are also people who pick chrysanthemums under the fence. Lao Jia is the standard-bearer of this kind of person. In addition to the unique geography of Shanghai, Lao Jia returned to the countryside. Attitudes and planting concepts have attracted a large number of urban admirers. Young volunteers often come to the farm to exchange work for food and lodging to experience farm life. On the contrary, the local villagers really disagree with this planting method. Some villagers pointed out that this is a waste of the country’s food, especially for the rich to enjoy. I can’t say it’s because after decades of fertilizers and pesticides have been applied here, the old people’s planting methods suddenly returned to the old days when they were young, which made them feel that it was a step backward. How come back to ancient times? This makes the people living in the village puzzled. People in rural areas and rural areas always seem to be places of exploitation. The people there, the soil there, the water there, the vegetables there... Decades ago, the people in the city told them that farming requires pesticides; Decades later, someone told them that pesticides were not good and outdated (although the system has not yet been established). I think they will never figure out their heads. Although farmers are hardworking and capable, the rewards are very low. You can't feed your family by farming alone. Therefore, the emergence of new farmers like Lao Jia will bring some new atmosphere and new views of the countryside. His wife Shangying gave up her life in the city for love, went to the countryside to sing and sing, and establish a new family in the countryside. This also gave Lao Jia the strength of an example in this agricultural circle. However, as shown in the film slowly, the life and work of the two are intertwined. Shang Ying discovered that he had given up his life in the city and followed Lao Jia to the countryside for love. Each other is more of a division of responsibilities like colleagues. On weekdays, the two of them are prone to quarrels, thinking it is due to their personalities. Now looking back, when they met Lao Jia, another woman has already entered their lives, but maybe only the old Jia knew it himself. Although Shangying is independent and self-improving, she also has her own opinions about fate, but she is idealistic about love, willing to forbear and wait, and is willing to give herself to the other party completely. I was very moved when she said in an interview: "Auntie was growing vegetables in the field. I was rather depressed at the time because I felt that I had to work and cook again. It was very depressed, so I asked those aunts. Now, how did you live your lives when you were young. Every aunt told me, wow, I have to die, I have to bring children, I have to cook, and I have to work. I listened to them and felt peaceful. Now, I said that maybe women are like this, so I will accept my fate. I said, well, since you have been so hard through your youth and middle age before, then I will be like this." Finally, the old Jia After leaving the farm, some friends who have watched the sample videos always ask me what I think of Lao Jia, life is impermanent, no matter how much hope, destiny has its own trajectory and development, and there is not much power to take my inner image. Impose on others. And what I really feel sad is that this Shiying Ying’s father has unfortunately passed away. He has seen him before. When the two most important men in life left her, I look back on the pastoral scene of the husband and wife. In time, there is the cultivation of seeds, the birth of life, the harvest of rice, and the betrayal of love. Finally, when I think of life's continuous walk, I feel relieved.
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Cast

Gu Xiaogang
Director
Story:
Old Jia was a white-collar worker who gave up his city life and returned to the countryside with his wife, Lizi. He abandoned chemical fertilizer to practice natural farming. His attitude and philosophy attracted a big group of admirers from the city, whereas local villagers found his approaches disagreeable. When Old Jia finally left and looked back this part of his life, he saw the germination of seeds, the birth of new life, the harvest of crops, and the betrayal of love. And as always, life goes on.