The film 11 Flowers, by Wang Xiaoshuai, director of Beijing Bicycle and Shanghai Dramas, is being shown in Houston, Texas. 11 Flowers is the poignant depiction of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) through a child's eyes.

Wang Han, not yet even a teenager, experiences the challenges of living in 1970s southwestern China. As his relatives struggle with fighting between the Red Guards and conservatives, Han focuses on the simple joys of life, such as the new shirt he proudly dons during morning calisthenics.

An air of comedy arises from the mundane tasks and daily routines in the final years of Mao's socio-political experiment.

A Variety film critic wrote: 11 Flowers is by turns wistful, hopeful, and even funny, balancing a momentous historical context with a stirring evocation of childhood. Among Wang Xiaoshuai's finest films."

This portrayal of China's recent past was a selection at numerous international film festivals, including Busan, Hong Kong and Toronto.

Date: Jan 26

Venue: 1370 Southmore Blvd. Houston

Website: asiasociety.org/texas/events/

(China Daily 12/21/2012 page23)