Ashima
 

PostD ON 14.10.2025

In the Chinese province of Yunnan, the beautiful Ashima loves Ahei, a young and handsome shepherd.

  
© Shanghai Film Group
Ashima (1964)

Everything would have been ideal if the wealthy man’s son did not covet the young heroine in a particularly aggressive and reckless manner... Ashima is a musical tragedy, an extended ode to love, featuring spectacular twists and turns, set against a backdrop of prodigious and magical nature. Indeed, nature is the arbiter of this melodious tale, recalibrating relationships between characters through miracles and catastrophes. ‘For love, anything is possible, even moving mountains,’ goes the adage, taken here literally. Thanks to beautiful, dreamlike visual flourishes – such as a camellia flower travelling upriver to deliver its message, to name but one – Ashima maintains her musical tone, that of a long love song with rather extraordinary protagonists. These young lovers appear invincible because they share a secret: they never doubt one another. The road ahead may be arduous, but it is never impossible. Lovers are never lost. They know which paths to take, even when their destiny is in jeopardy, because love wins all. Brought to life by two vibrant actors, this work is also highly cinematographic, with its magnificent landscapes and colour palette composed of greens and greys, emphasising the red of the lips and the blue of a traditional headdress.

Virginie Apiou

Ashima by Liu Qiong (1964, 1h30)

Restoration by the Shanghai Film Group.
The film is labelled Lumière Classics
DCP in original version with French subtitles made exclusively for the festival by Shanghai Film Group
Our thanks to Shanghai Film Group

Pathé Bellecour Tue 14 2pm1
In the presence of Min Liu (film journalist)

Institut Lumière (Villa) Wed 15 9:30am | Institut Lumière (Villa) Wed 15 9:45am
In the presence of Min Liu (film journalist)