1954. In an idyllic Beijing hutong, a boy is born into a family full of hope for the future. As destiny would have it, his birthday is marked by heavy rainfall and as such the child is named Dayu (heavy rain), foreshadowing hardships to come. However, the family does not take to this inauspicious name and later renames him Tietou (Iron head) in defiance of destiny.

Tietou’s story takes us through the tumultuous political campaigns of the 50’s and 60’s as seen through the eyes of an ordinary child. In an ode to the resilience of the Chinese people in the face of adversity, Tian Zhuangzhuang’s masterpiece reflects on the complicated emotional relationship between people and party.

Join us for a deep dive into this Beijing story of love and tragedy, accompanied by cocktails and the best of company at Beijing Postcards’ hutong gallery.

We will start off with a 20 minute introduction to the film’s background before we watch the movie, and if you have time you can stay for a small discussion afterwards.

The price include cocktail, beer, or soft drinks.