Original subtitles

THE TRUE STORY OF THIS FILM HAPPENED IN THE 1990S.

MAMA DIRECTED BY LI DONGMEI

THE FIRST DAY

Grandpa!

Lunch is ready.

Xiaoxian!

Xiaoxian!

Xiaoxian!

Sister, your classmates are here.

Are you coming?

Coming!

- Do your homework. - OK.

- Sister. - Yes?

- Don't forget to buy my notebooks! - Alright.

Xiaoxian, it looks like your uncle.

Uncle! Uncle!

Look! It's Chen Gang!

Did you see him?

That was Chen Gang.

My grandpa said his mother was ill.

- Mom. - There you are.

Xingxing.

Sister.

- What's this? - It's a flower.

- Are there any more? - Yes.

- You're here, Xiaoxian. - Grandma.

Let's get some more later.

Mama, let me help you.

OK.

Take it slowly.

Grandpa!

Grandpa!

Grandpa!

Grandpa!

Time for dinner!

Time for dinner.

Xingxing's here.

Let's go.

Auntie.

- Here's Xiaoxian. - Yes.

Have you eaten? Come and eat.

I don't want to eat, you go ahead.

Mom, you can go back now.

THE SECOND DAY

"They asked Daughter who's in her heart

"They asked Daughter who's on her mind

"'No one is in Daughter's heart

"'No one is on Daughter's mind

"'Last night I saw the draft posters

"'The Khan is calling many troops

"'The army list is in twelve scrolls

"'On every scroll there's Father's name

"'Father has no grown-up son

"'Mulan has no elder brother

"'I want to buy a saddle and horse

"'And serve in the army in Father's place'"

"In the East Market she buys a spirited horse

"In the West Market she buys a saddle

"In the South Market she buys a bridle

"In the North Market she buys a long whip

"At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother

"At night, camps on the Yellow River's bank

"She doesn't hear Father and Mother calling

"But only Mount Yen's nomad horses crying

"She takes leave of Father and Mother

"Arrives at Black Mountain at dusk..."

What will you do about it?

I can't change my mind?

Who is more important? Our children or your sister's?

Come back and handle it yourself! My parents say it's impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Go and talk to my brother.

What happens if you go back and something goes wrong?

I met him today on his way to Shuikou.

He won't be back until tomorrow.

You must have a lot of mosquito bites.

It's fine.

I'll get you a stool.

No, stay here.

Did you eat?

Not yet.

Aren't you worried about the mosquitoes?

I don't mind.

- No? - No.

Don't think too much.

Dreams are just dreams.

Look,

it's hard to describe this dream.

There was a big black cloth

covering the roof of our kitchen and the hall.

I said to my wife:

"Now the room is even darker."

She didn't say a thing.

Later, I asked her

to burn the cloth

so the room would be brighter.

She said we shouldn't do it.

"Darkness is okay.

It's a shame to burn the cloth."

THE THIRD DAY

Are you getting up?

Yes, you should get more sleep.

The sky is red today.

It's going to be hot.

Stoke the fire and fill the kettle, so I can cook breakfast.

OK.

Going to work now?

Yes.

Have you heard?

Li Kaijiang's second daughter is dying,

she's in the hospital.

Something's wrong with her liver.

She may die in a few days.

The hospital asked them to prepare for her funeral.

She's young, not even forty.

Men shouldn't push themselves too hard.

She's very hard on herself.

She didn't get along with her husband.

Yes, her uncle told me that.

I'm heading off now.

Go ahead.

Weiwei, get up now.

Time for school.

Get up, breakfast is ready.

Grandpa's coming if you stay in bed.

The sun is red today, looks like fire.

Yes.

Come here.

Don't cry...

Mummy's here, mummy's here.

What's wrong? She's been crying all day.

Father, go back. I'm off now.

So the children's aunt doesn't agree?

No. I can't do anything about it.

THE FOURTH DAY

- Are you feeding the chicken? - Yes, I'm feeding the chicken.

Let's plant some chili back there.

We don't have any seeds.

I'm not sure their grandpa has any.

Mom, you are home.

Grandma.

Wash your face, come and eat.

Your shirt is inside out.

Come here.

When did you wash yourself? Your neck is dirty.

I did wash last night, but I sweated while sleeping.

Don't your grandparents ever wash you?

I said, I did wash last night, but I sweated while sleeping.

Today is Teacher Zhang's wedding day,

we don't go to school.

You can help me in the field.

I have homework to do.

How much do you have?

I've got Pinyin, math exercises

and thirty minutes of extracurricular reading.

Finish your homework then go help your grandma.

Help her with the planting.

- Xiaowei, come here. - Yes.

How do you write "guan" in "Dongguan"?

Like this.

It doesn't look right.

I'll look it up in the dictionary.

Let me check.

Never mind, I'll write the Pinyin instead.

Let me check.

This is "guan", mom.

Guan, Wan, W-a-n.

Wan-er...

A way of smiling.

Smile,

smile, water onion,

kind, mankind.

Water onion,

a kind of plant,

that can form a mat.

Mostly grows in wet lands,

also called...

mat grass.

Guan, Dongguan, name of a city,

in Guangdong province.

Feed the pigs.

You only think about your pigs...

Grandpa is annoyed at grandma again.

I didn't even take a break...

Mom, come and eat.

- Husking the corn? - Yes.

Come down and wash yourself.

My fourth daughter is going to be one year old.

I wonder if she can walk now...

You were in Fenjie this time last year.

Your feet are still swollen.

I wonder when you are going to give birth.

THE FIFTH DAY

She's so young, to die at this age...

We're all wooden people,

moving is not allowed, smiling is forbidden,

showing white teeth is not permitted.

All set.

The umbilical cord is torn. The placenta is still inside her.

Hurry to the hospital!

Doctor!

Doctor!

Doctor!

THE SIXTH DAY

Dear passengers,

the bus from Dongguan to Yiyang

is about to leave.

Please take all your belongings

and have your tickets ready.

Plant the stake over there.

This is a good place.

The soul will go to heaven...

The journey of long-lasting darkness begins...

THE SEVENTH DAY

Papa.

I'll take care of you.

Like a son.

Such a cute baby.

Yes, she is cute.

I'm leaving now.

Please look after her.

This is the place where our son is buried.

Make sure it doesn't go out.

Sister...

why did we take the lamp?

Grandpa said, it's to help mom find her way.

Won't it go out?

I don't know.

Maybe it will.

THIS FILM IS DEDICATED TO MY MOTHER,

BORN ACCORDING TO THE LUNAR CALENDAR, ON JULY 12TH, 1957.

SHE DIED IN CHILDBIRTH ON AUGUST 29TH, 1992,

AT THE AGE OF 36.

SHE HAD FIVE DAUGHTERS.