The Chinese Botanist's Daughters (Les filles du Bontaniste)
Dai Sijie/90min/Canada,France/2006

In the China of the 1980s, not all taboos have fallen.

The beautiful and headstrong Min is sent from her orphanage to study with a renowned botanist. Chen is an unforgiving disciplinarian who, together with his devoted daughter An, tends a lush garden of exotic flora on an island just beyond the mainland. An, eager to have a newcomer capable of breaking her solitude, begins to share her secret world of plants and potions with Min. Soon curiosity gives way to passion, and a relationship blossoms in this idyllic paradise, where ancient remedies are crafted by the botanist’s stern hand. Reality sets in, however, and with the arrival of An’s brother, their forbidden love begins to threaten the imposed order of old and entrenched values. Unwilling to separate, Min and An dream up a dangerous arrangement that will allow them to live under the same roof.

As unflinching in its portrayal of homophobic repression as it is generous in its depiction of the women’s physical and emotional passions, The Chinese Botanist’s Daughters creates an awe-inspiring, unforgettable film experience that lingers, fog-like, long after the credits roll.

Winner
Entertainment Partners Canada Award for Best Canadian Feature-Length Narrative or Documentary - Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2007