The Gardener and the Dictator
98 mins
A few years prior to the COVID pandemic, Hui Wang returned to Wuhan, China, to reconnect with her aging grandparents, who were her childhood caregivers. Now that they are in their late 80s, the pace of life in their modest home has slowed considerably, but they remain as active as possible in their quiet but rapidly transforming neighbourhood. Navigating various maladies, their humorous domestic bickering is loving evidence of a codependent couple’s deep bonds developed after spending the better part of a century together. Reflecting on both the joyful and difficult times and clearly rejuvenated by their granddaughter’s company, they recount China’s history through personal experiences during Japanese occupation during World War II and the subsequent Cultural Revolution.
ZHANG Jun
Writer
ZHANG Jun
Producer
Alan Geldart
Sound Supervisor
Roland Schlimme
Consulting Editor
Marc Serpa Francoeur
Executive Producer
Robinder Uppal
Consulting Producer