Li Shuangshuang (李双双 Lǐ Shuāngshuang) is a 1962 Chinese comedy-propaganda film written by Li Zhun and directed by Lu Ren.
Filmed and set during the Great Leap Forward, it focuses on a peasant woman (Li Shuangshuang) who is married to Sun Xiwang. Sun Xiwang is an old-fashioned man who struggles to understand the changing social circumstances of the era. Unlike her husband, Li Shuangshuang is a model member of society who condemns the laziness and corruption of other members of the commune. Shuangshuang, sick of staying at home and working on domestic labor, leads the commune to take part in the progress of the Great Leap Forward.
The story of Li Shuangshuang first appeared in The People's Literature in 1960. After becoming a huge success amongst China’s citizens it was made into a movie. The story was next adapted into a comic strip so it could be easily enjoyed by all. This form of replicating the same story into multiple mediums was common during the early Mao period. Films like Li Shuangshuang were produced with the goal of “assist with current political, social, and economic campaigns. For education as much as entertainment, these films presented model characters in model situations”. Thus the film contributed to a series of propaganda promoting an idealized version of what life could be like in a commune.
The film garnered huge success, winning the second Hundred Flowers Award for best feature film in 1963 from a countrywide spectator vote. Lead actress Zhang Ruifang was also awarded the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress for her performance.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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