''The Chinese Botanist's Daughters'' (, zh, 植物园, lit. "Botanic Garden") is a French and Canadian film, with the background set as in China. It was released in 2006.

Plot

Set in China in the 1980s or 1990s, the film tells the story of Li Ming, a young orphan of the

Tangshan earthquake The 1976 Tangshan earthquake () was a 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 3:42 a.m. on 28 July 1976. The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI (''Extreme'') on the Mercalli scale. In minutes, 85 percen ...

, who leaves to study at the home of a renowned botanist. A secretive man and commanding father, he lives on an island that he has transformed into a luxurious garden. Anxious to share this solitary life, his daughter, An, welcomes with joy the arrival of the female student. Soon their friendship develops into a sensual, but forbidden attraction. Incapable of separating themselves, Ming and An create a dangerous arrangement to be able to continue spending their lives together: Ming marries An's brother, who is a

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the military of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the People's Republic of China (PRC). It consists of four Military branch, services—People's Liberation Army Ground Force, Ground Force, People's ...

(PLA) soldier and cannot bring his wife with him. However, An and Ming's relationship is discovered by the botanist who has a heart attack when he finds out. Before he dies, he tells police that it was his daughter and daughter-in-law's homosexuality "disease" that killed him. Thus, An and Ming are sentenced to death by a court and executed.

Casting

Mylène Jampanoï Mylène Jampanoï (; born Lena Jam-Panoï; 12 July 1980) is a French actress, model, and visual artist. Her first leading role was in the drama film '' The Chinese Botanist's Daughters'' (2006). She subsequently garnered international attention ...

– Li Ming *

Li Xiaoran Li Xiaoran (; born 8 May 1976) is a Chinese actress. She graduated from Beijing Dance Academy at the age of 17, and was the only dancer recruited into the Oriental Song and Dance Troupe from Beijing. Filmography Television series Awards and ...

– An * Dongfu Lin – Botanist * Weiguang Wang – Dan * Thi Xuan Thuc Nguyen – La vieille * Tuo Jilin – Le juge * Dinh Xuang Tung – Policier 1 * Le Ba Anh – Policier 2 * Vuong Trach Vu – Policier 3

Controversies

Permission to film in China was refused, leading to the film being shot in northern Vietnam instead (mainly in Ba Vì and

Hà Tây Hà is a Vietnamese given name, male or female, meaning "river". Hà is a Vietnamese 'surname' (during French colonialism). The name is transliterated as He in Chinese and Ha in Korean. Ha is the anglicized variation of the surname Hà. It is ...

) to create a similar environment.

Awards and nominations

Montréal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Inside Out Film and Video Festival The Inside Out Film and Video Festival (formerly, Inside Out Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival), also known as the Inside Out LGBT or LGBTQ Film Festival, is an annual Canadian film festival, which presents a program of LGBT-related film. Th ...

: *Best Canadian Film or Video (Sijie Dai, won)"Sijie Dai film named Best Feature at Inside Out fest". ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

'', 29 May 2007.

References

External links

Official site in French
*

at ELMS

in Tokyo Wrestling {{DEFAULTSORT:Chinese Botanist's Daughters, The 2006 films 2006 romantic comedy-drama films Canadian romantic comedy-drama films French romantic comedy-drama films Lesbian-related films Canadian LGBTQ-related films French LGBTQ-related films 2000s Mandarin-language films Films set in China Films directed by Dai Sijie 2006 LGBTQ-related films LGBTQ-related comedy films LGBTQ-related romantic drama films Films shot in Vietnam LGBTQ-related controversies in film 2000s Canadian films 2000s French films