2003

Director: Zhang Jiarui

Camera: Ma Dongge

Producer: Huo Keming, Wang Ziliang

Cast: Li Min, Yang Zhigang, Shu Linyuan

Scenario: Meng Jiazong

Editor: Zhou Ying

Music: Huang Zhenyu, Dong Wei

Running time: 89’ 

As another day dawns deep in the mountains of the Chinese Hani tribe, Ruoma wakes up to her seventeenth birthday. Just another day of selling sweet corn in the local village market and smiling for the cameras of tourists. That is, until she catches the eye of Ming, a struggling young photographer.

Noticing Ruoma’s popularity, Ming hits on the idea of cashing in on her bright smile by having her pose with tourists against the scenic vistas of the Yunnan valley. Ruoma, who dreams of going to the big city and 'riding in a glass elevator,' jumps at the opportunity. But will her ambition overwhelm her love for her family and friends?

Zhang Jiarui’s film debut, When Ruoma Was Seventeen, is a serene and perceptive study of how a young woman’s romantic awakening is complicated by her cultural roots. Making ravishing use of both the Chinese landscape and the traditions of the Hani tribe, the film’s strong appeal also builds on seventeen year-old non-professional Li Min’s lovely performance.

Director Zhang Jiarui studied philosophy at Sichuan University between 1979 and 1983 before becoming a director at the Beijing Youth Film Studio affiliated to the Beijing Film Academy. He was assistant director of 'The Big Thief' in 1988, and has made a few TV movies and dramas since then. 'When Ruoma Was Seventeen' is his directorial debut for which he received the “New Talents Award” at the 2002 Golden Rooster Film Festival in China.