Set in rural mainland China, specifically inner Mongolia, The Love Songs of Tiedan is a light-hearted family drama built around the art of Er Ren Tai, a style of folk-song performance. Over the film’s span of 26-odd years, we first meet Tiedan as a little boy, smitten by his father’s friend. When we rejoin him later as an adult he has learnt singing from his father as an art, farming being is daytime occupation. Over time, we see Tiedan grow up and go through love, heart-break and eventual serenity. All through, Er Ren Tai performances are threaded into the movie’s fabric. Shot almost entirely outdoors, the movie is lovely to watch and an adequate amount of humour keeps it light-hearted and engrossing. While the movie isn’t exceptional enough to win accolades, the intriguing mix of Er Ren Tai and cinematic story-telling make for a fascinating viewing.
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