"Old Things in the South of the City" tells the story of Lin, a six-year-old girl who lived in a small alley in the south of Beijing in the late 1920s. Eiko and Xiuzhen, a "crazy" woman, became friends.
Xiuzhen is Eiko's first friend. Xiuzhen once had a crush on a college student. Later, college students were taken away by the police, and Xiuzhen's daughter, Xiao Guizi, was left at the foot of the city by her family. Life and death are unknown, and the whereabouts are unknown.
Eiko is very sympathetic to her. Eiko learned that the little girl's life is very similar to that of the little devil, found the mark on the back of her neck, and quickly took her to Xiuzhen. Xiuzhen knew her daughter who had been separated for six years, and immediately took her to find her father. As a result, the mother and daughter died tragically under the train wheels.
Eiko's family moved to Xinshuang Hutong. Eiko met a young man with thick lips in a nearby garden. In order to pay for his brother's education, he had to steal. Eiko thinks she is kind, but she can't tell whether she is a good person or a bad person. Not long after, Eiko found a small bronze Buddha on the barren grass, which was discovered by police spies. He took the young man away with the police, which made Eiko very sad.
Later, Eiko's father died of lung disease. Ma Song was also picked up by her husband with a little donkey. Eiko took his family on a long-distance carriage and said goodbye to his childhood with all kinds of doubts.
Extended data
The Old Story in the South of the City is adapted from Lin Zai 1960' s novella of the same name. The film is directed by Wu, starring, Zheng, ZhangFeng yi, etc. It was released in Chinese mainland on 1983.
The film won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Feature Film at the 2nd Manila International Film Festival, the Best Director, Best Supporting Actress and Best Music at the 3rd China Golden Rooster Award.