Mothers

ZHANG Qing-mei is a well-known psychic, who worships the “Goddess of Child-giving.” She is also the family planning chief of her village, located in Shanxi Province, China. In the village, there have been sterilization workshops for woman, once a year, for the past some years. However, this year, there will be two workshops, and a quota of14 woman must be sterilized. The problem is there are not that many women to sterilize. If the village officials are unable to meet this quota, they will be voted off the committee. Therefore, the officials have decided to implement a program: sterilize all the women who have been avoiding sterilization. Now, Rong-rong, an elementary school teacher, has found herself to be the primary target on their list.

Family planning had been an important part of the village committee’s work, and the sterilization program can make or break an officials’ career. If officials fail to sterilize women, job loss is inevitable. Therefore, failure is not an option. The village committee secretary wanted to ensure the success of the sterilization program by enlisting the ever-persuasive ZHANG Guo-hong to assist ZHANG Qing-mei. ZHANG Guo-hong, former local thug, has made a pretty good life for himself, and now wants some reputation to go along with the fortune. The sterilization program might just be the way to prove his worth, and Rong-rong just happens to be his point of entry.

Rong-rong is a mother of two, and the thorn in the village officials’ thigh when it comes to the sterilization program. Three years after giving birth to her second child, the village officials have yet to successfully get Rong-rong sterilized. This was either because they could not catch her, or because she would always coincidentally have her period during the sterilization workshops and they could not perform the procedure. After investigating, ZHANG Guo-hong learned that Rong-rong has been taking Chinese herbs to induce period around the time of the sterilization workshop. ZHANG decides to ambush Rong-rong so she does not take the herbs.

About the Director

Born in Shanxi, XU Hui-jing currently resides in Guangzhou. He graduated in 2009 with a degree from Guangzhou Art Institute and has been working in independent image production ever since. Prior to 15, XU lived in a rural village. After that he worked as an interior and graphic designer. XU started making documentaries in college and has also worked for the Southern Weekly Press.

Filmography
2011　God’s Spokesperson
2011　Wedding Host
2010　River Flow River Bank
2005　Flyover

From the Director

I was born in a small village in Northern China in 1984. I was the second child in my family, despite the one-child policy. My mom said according to policy, I shouldn’t have been born. Villagers have told me stories about running away from officials who were trying to sterilize them. There were also stories about being fined– some to the point where they lose all their belongings. These stories seem comical at times and heartbreaking at others. Through their laughter and tears one can sense the hardship.