Built around a series of interviews, images of daily life, special family occasions, and archival film, Half the Sky explores the changes within the lives of four generations of women in the Jiang family over the last 50 years in China. From the grandmother who was bought by the Jiang family at age 14 to be grandfather's second wife, to her 24-year-old great-granddaughter who works as a sales assistant at the Pierre Cardin boutique in Beijing, the film focuses on the women's individual experiences of marriage, children, work, love, and self-esteem.

No women in any country have seen their lives change so radically as Chinese women. "Women are 'half the sky'," declared Mao Zedong, "and they are absolutely the equal of men." Equal they may have been, but by regimentation, to the point of the virtual abolition of womanhood and femininity. Today economic reforms have given young women a degree of independence unknown to any previous generation. For the first time they are conscious and outspoken about their role and position in society, and they make their demands known.

LEARN MORE:

Available from Bullfrog Films