Film

GARDENER AND THE DICTATOR, THE

Set in Wuhan, a metropolis of more than 12 million that became infamous as the first city hit by COVID-19, THE GARDENER AND THE DICTATOR offers a portal back to life long before the pandemic. A loving portrait of Xianzhuang Kuai and Zhongxian Wang, the filmmaker’s elderly grandparents, the film unfolds through their daily lives as they work together to overcome physical and emotional challenges. With incredible intimacy and honesty, they share shocking and inspiring accounts of their experiences during the brutal Japanese occupation and World War II, the Cultural Revolution, and the decades of political and cultural upheaval that followed.
A largely voiceless generation, this remarkable duo revisit both painful and joyous memories, many of which had been buried until the introduction of a video camera as a conduit for these testimonies. Stark contrast between their quiet home life, turbulent early experiences, and the fast-changing urban environment around them creates a nuanced reflection of the incredible pace of societal change around them.
In a time where China and “the West” are more mired in conflict and distrust than ever, THE GARDENER AND THE DICTATOR is both a profoundly intimate and quirky love story and a nuanced and insightful reflection of the last century of China’s tumultuous history.