Seventeen Years (1999) – Mainland China

"Seventeen Years" is written in the style of a fable or folk tale about forgiveness. The plot and character development are extremely complicated, but the narrative is presented in an almost minimalist manner. The film is set in northeast China and follows a married couple with two daughters from prior marriages. One daughter is rebellious, while the other is more intellectual; their differences lead to frequent squabbles.

After a disagreement over a fake theft charge, the rebellious one accidentally kills her sister with a head injury. The girl is then imprisoned for seventeen years and grows up in solitary confinement. Almost two decades later the humiliated sister has been freed from jail for the New Year holiday. In a gesture of kindness, a young jail guard played by Li Bingbing volunteers to assist the youngster in locating her parents. It quickly becomes evident that she is scared to return home because she does not want to face the parents she has mentally wrecked.

Detailed information:

Directed by: Zhang Yuan

Starring: Li Jun, Li Bingbing, Liu Lin

Release date: September 1999

Running time: 90 minutes