Walking to School (2008)
Director: Peng Jiahuang, Peng Chen
Country: China
Storyline:
Wawa, a seven-year-old boy of Lisu ethnicity in Yunnan province, is very envious of his sister Naxiang's life in school. The family lives in a remote place on a mountain and his sister must cross a zipline over a river to attend classes on the other side. Wawa's mother refuses to let Wawa cross the zipline because he's too young. One day, unable to resist the temptation, Wawa crosses the river himself without permission, just to see how the kids at his sister's school play and study. When a teacher, Nie, visits Wawa's home with a pair of red rain boots for Naxiang, Wawa's secret is revealed, angering his mother. Wawa has never seen such new shoes in his life, and promises to never cross the zipline again on the condition that he gets to keep the boots. But the next day, the kind Wawa returns his sister's boots.
Naxiang encounters the teacher, Nie, at a store, and Nie buys a new pair of boots just for Wawa. The excited Naxiang hurries home to bring his brother his gift, but slips from the zipline, falls into the river and dies. From then on, Wawa is terrified of the zipline and has never crossed the river.
Six months later, donations allow a bridge to be built between the two mountains and Wawa finally gets to walk to school, wearing the boots his sister wanted to give to him.
Letters from Heaven (1992)
Director: Wang Junzheng
Country: China
Storyline:
Chenchen's parents work abroad and he lives with his grandfather. The grandfather, who worked as a postman prior to retirement, often sends letters designated to the deceased on a kite and flies it with his grandson, telling him that the kite will deliver the letter to heaven.
The serenity of their lives is shattered when Chenchen's mother returns home and tries to educate Chenchen in the "new" way. The grandfather, not wanting to disturb the family, moves back to his old apartment and is very much missed by his grandson Chenchen.
On the grandfather's birthday, Chenchen and his friend Linlin bring him a birthday card and ask whether they can fly a kite with him. The grandfather, tired and resting in an armchair, calmly watches at the children play with his kite, and closes his eyes forever.
Chenchen and Linlin attach the birthday card to the kite and send it up into the sky. The film ends with the two looking at the sky, waiting for the return of the letter from heaven.
