Title : Not One Less/ 1999
Director : Zhang Yimou
Language : Mandarin
Genre : Drama
Written by : Eswandy
Not One Less is a 1999 drama film directed by one of the most celebrated filmmakers from China, Zhang Yimou, who at the time was still fresh from the success of his recent film, Shanghai Triad (1995) which had been nominated in the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language. With a similar fashion as most of Zhang Yimou’s other films, Not One Less was also adapted from a novel and this time it was Shi Xiangsheng‘s 1997 A Sun in the Sky. Using the Neorealism approach to evoke the audience’s attention towards the realism aspect in film, Not One Less is a contemporary Chinese film that brilliantly tackles issues such as the problems of the education system and the economic gap between the urban and rural population in China at that time.
Not One Less tells the story of how a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, arrives in a remote village, Shuiquan Village, and the challenges she had to face in dealing with her students, especially Zhang Huike, who often questions Wei‘s status as a substitute teacher who lacks of knowledge, very young, thus giving the impression that she holds no experience in teaching. Ultimately, Wei‘s mission is to ensure that the students in the village continue learning and do not leave school to go to the big city to find a job. Her character’s motivation is to paint the reality of the Chinese younger generation with the importance of education, not just for the individual benefits but also for the nation as a whole to continue to thrive. And it is from this idea that Not One Less’s story moves and unites Wei Minzhi with each little soul in Shuiquan Village. A journey of knowledge that opened the eyes of the entire China to the importance of education and the struggles that they had to face during that era, in line with the social and educational reforms that are currently taking place in China during the 90’s.
Not One Less is one of those films that brings good value and enjoyment at the same time, it reminds me of one of the more recent Indonesian films, Laskar Pelangi (2008) which has the same focus and motivation on education. The question that this film tries to bring is, are you ready to come out of your comfort zone, to begin a never ending journey like what Wei Minzhi had done in the film, in order to pursue something of great value, incomparable and the most sought after, that is knowledge?
★★★★✫
*This article is written based on the reflection of the writer’s own personal view and expression towards the subject matter.
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