“23 seconds. 32 years” is the mysterious tagline printed on movie posters across China.

Adapted from Zhang Ling’s novel “Aftershock,” the Feng Xiaogang-directed movie of the same name tells the story of a family torn apart by the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed at least 240,000.

When both her son and daughter are stuck beneath the same cement slab, Yuan Ni must choose whom to save. Her agonizing decision would shape the fate of her family for 32 years to come.

Although the technical reproduction of the 23-second earthquake is epic in itself, the vivid portrayal of the repercussions of the disaster are even more memorable.

XOXO

Labels: daily me. movie.