Les filles du botaniste
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Categories: Chinese film stubs | 2006 films | Comedy-drama films | Lesbian-related films | 2000s romantic comedy films | Chinese films | Mandarin-language films
Les filles du botaniste (Chinese: 植物园, Botanic Garden) is a French and Canadian film, with the background set as in China. It was released in 2006. Its English title is The Chinese Botanist's Daughters.
BackgroundTagline: The first of liberties is the one to love. Date of release: (In Europe) 26 April 2006 Director: Dai Sijie Plot summarySet in China in the 1980s or 1990s, the film tells the story of, Li Ming, a young orphan of Tangshan earthquake, who leaves to study at the home of a renowned botanist. A secretive man and commanding father, he lives on an island that he has transformed into a luxurious garden. Anxious to share this solitary life, his daughter, An, welcomes with joy the arrival of the female student. Soon their friendship develops into a sensual, but forbidden attraction. Incapable of separating themselves, Ming and An create a dangerous arrangement to be able to continue spending their lives together: Ming marries An's brother, who is a PLA soldier and cannot bring his wife with him. However, An and Ming's relationship is observed by the botanist who thus gets a heart attack. Before he dies, he tells police that it's his daughter and daughter-in-law's homosexuality "disease" that kills him. Thus, An and Ming are sentenced to death by a court and executed. Casting
Production detailsControversiesDue to the sensibility of the homosexuality subject, this movie was not allowed to be shot in China. It was shot in Vietnam instead, to create a similar environment. The film is full of stereotype oriental images, like firecracker and juggling performance along a foggy river, instead of in the middle of a village. Mylène Jampanoï was criticized as "could not perform". The death sentence of Ming and An was considered as impossible, as although homosexuality has be discriminated in China, people do not get executed because of that. And the judge's verdict reasoning "Due to their behavior, our country lost an excellent botanist, thus they must be punished" is totally ridiculous.[1] ReferencesExternal links
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