In 1953, Chen Shujuan and Lin Shaolong marry in Beijing, and a year later, their son Tietou is born. The Communist Party's presence is omnipresent, with Mao's image and propaganda announcements filling their daily lives. Tragedy strikes when Shaolong dies in a reform camp, and a close family friend, who had protected Shujuan and Tietou, succumbs to malnutrition. The family faces further hardship as Shujuan is injured, imprisoned, and eventually dies, leaving Tietou alone. Despite the turmoil, Tietou finds comfort in his mother's love and the promise of his father to make another kite for him, which he eventually fulfills.
The Blue Kite
Beijing's complex history unfolds through the lens of a single family, whose lives are shaped by the devastating effects of the Hundred Flowers Campaign, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution.
