The Village of Widows 1989

Overview

The Village of Widows is a 1989 film set in a small Chinese fishing village during the year 1949. The story follows a community populated almost entirely by women as they await the establishment of a government by the newly victorious communist regime. The villagers express concern regarding how the incoming authorities will react to their long-standing traditional customs. These local practices dictate that wives are permitted to see their husbands only three times per year, and the circumstances under which women are allowed to become pregnant are strictly limited. The cultural rules of the village are enforced through severe punishment, as those who are caught violating these regulations are sentenced to be drowned. The film explains that the almost exclusively female population of the village is a result of the fact that most of the men are absent. The narrative explores the tension between these isolated, traditional practices and the impending arrival of a new political order.