Watch Little Red Flowers

Little Red Flowers is an endearing and heartwarming coming-of-age film directed by Zhang Yuan. The movie is set in 1950s China, and it revolves around the life of a young boy named Fangqin (Bowen Dong) who is sent to a boarding school in Beijing named the Golden-Ball Kindergarten. As he joins the school, he faces difficulties adjusting to a strict, regimented environment that is different from the warmth and familiarity of his family life.

The movie begins with an introduction to the school and its way of functioning, with a focus on how the children are treated by their teachers. From the very beginning, we see the teacher, Miss Li (Yuanyuan Ning), as a dominant figure who demands a high level of discipline from the children. The children are forced to do things that are strange to them, like collectively taking their afternoon nap and reciting the lyrics of the national anthem every morning.

Despite this, Fangqin finds comfort in the company of his classmates, who, like him, are struggling to cope with this new life. The children find solace in the little things and grow fond of each other over time, which is evident in the way they play group games and look out for each other. They adopt their own subculture in the kindergarten that is a kind of rebellion against the strict school regime.

However, things take a drastic turn when Fangqin is awarded the Little Red Flower award for being the best student in the class. He is soon singled out by his teacher as a model student and is expected to lead by example. The teachers and staff make every effort to ensure that Fangqin remains the Little Red Flower, including making him wear a red scarf, a symbol of the Communist Party, and sing the national anthem at every opportunity. Fangqin's parents are proud of their son and overlook the fact that the school is depriving him of his childhood.

Fangqin's teacher, Miss Li, tries to mold him into a model communist citizen, but Fangqin struggles with the regimented environment and his own desires. As he begins to question the suffocating system imposed on him, he is taken out of the school, and his parents are called in to discuss his behavior.

The movie's central theme is the tension between the individual and the collective, with the focus on the experience of the children. It explores the ways in which children, who are expected to conform to the expectations of society, come to terms with their own desires and individuality.

Overall, Little Red Flowers is a touching and thought-provoking movie that portrays the complexities of growing up in a society that values conformity over individualism. It provides a glimpse into the struggles of young children and how they deal with the pressures of the system around them, while also highlighting the importance of creativity and imagination in children's lives. The performances of the children are extraordinary, capturing the innocence and vulnerability of childhood, while the direction and cinematography create a visually captivating experience. The film has received critical acclaim and has won several awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.