Filled with beautiful cinematography and a wardrobe that befits a fairy tale, Little Sister is a gorgeous film based on one of the earliest versions of the beloved story Cinderella. In this enchanting version drawn from ancient scripts – which filmmaker Richard Bowen discovered in a Beijing museum – we are transported to a time and place where boys are valued over girls.
For the most part, the story remains the same. An orphaned heroine at the mercy of a scheming stepmother attends an important dance against the latter’s wishes. The heroine flees the action at midnight, leaving behind a single shoe which impels a search undertaken by a handsome monarch for the matching foot. But Little Sister also tells a mystical story of how the sun and moon stay frozen in protest of the inequality on earth, and only our heroine can restore harmony to the natural world.
Set in a picturesque village in Southern China many centuries ago, Little Sister unfolds at a gentle pace, giving the audience the opportunity to appreciate the film’s exquisite craftsmanship and the space to ponder the questions it raises: Why was the heroine, Mei Mei, born a girl when the village shaman predicted she would be born a special boy? Will she discover her purpose on earth as ordained by the heavens? Why must the region’s monarch, a young king, work in tandem with Mei Mei to restore the heavens to their proper functioning? Can the village learn to value girls as much as boys?
Featuring an excellent Chinese cast, including newcomer Xiao Min as Mei Mei, and wonderful narration by Asian American actress Brenda Song, accomplished cinematographer Richard Bowen’s directorial debut is a striking film filled with wonder and magic that reveals the Chinese origins of this famous fairy tale. Inspired by the two Chinese daughters he and his wife adopted, Bowen has skillfully created a family-friendly film that celebrates an important moral – that girls are as good as boys.
Allen Braude
Sprockets Family Zone films are appropriate for families.
This film is recommended for ages 9 and up.