Synopsis
In 2010 Northwestern China, Chunxiao Zhao (赵春筱) as the deputy class president was selected to perform at a talent show in their middle school. Chunxiao is a straight-A student at school but she fantasizes herself being an overly-sexualized and objectified woman under the influence of warped views on sexuality and identity learned from social media and entertainment. She desires attention and approval from cool girls in the class. Along the way, Chunxiao gets encouraged to express her secret at the talent show to impress them when a teaching assistant tricks her into giving away some of her worn stockings, only to have her realize that he was taking advantage of her innocence. In the end, despite the shame, Chunxiao is accepted by other girls but she has to learn that identity is only defined by herself in this inherently patriarchal world.
Director’s Statement
Growing up under an oppressive school system and wild entertainment influence, I had a ridiculous experience of the scam of stockings with a total stranger when I was fifteen. The incident is very personal, yet somehow surreal when I try to retell the story to my friends. It stuck with me and I feel the urge to tell it cause it reminded me of how often sexuality and the way women present themselves is often trivialized and ignored in mainstream society.
Chinese pre-college schools often have strict school policies regarding physical appearance. Such an oppressive school system only cares about grades but neglects personal growth. Even worse, Sex education is not often talked out-load in Eastern society, teenagers like myself were often raised up under skewed sexual beliefs via social media and entertainments.
Therefore, I wish to tell this story about Self-identity to encourage average teenage girls to keep being themselves regardless of how dangerous the patriarchal world is, and the world can be defined by the way we choose to look at it.