LIKE THE DYER’S HAND

“Heaven uses a hundred misfortunes to fashion one poet,” writes Ye Jiaying, one of the top scholars of classical Chinese poetry in the world, citing the intellectual Wang Guowei to explain how life’s tribulations led her to a deeper understanding of poetry. In this critically acclaimed documentary, Ye’s life story unfolds in poetic narration from herself and her students, peers, and friends. Born in 1924, Ye has lived through war, political turmoil, and extreme personal loss, but has found solace in classical poetry, especially Du Fu’s poems written during the chaotic close of the Tang dynasty (618 — 907). The documentary is not just a biography, but an immersive literary experience.