This is POV.
I'm Pete Schwaba, host of Wisconsin Public Television's
"Director's Cut."
Tonight, we present the documentary, Still Tomorrow
which looks at the life of Chinese poet Yu Xiuhua,
a farmer from a remote area of China
who has become the country's most famous poet.
People often wonder where poets get their inspiration.
For Xiuhua, it comes from a life of struggle:
from the loneliness of living in rural China,
to not graduating high school,
to being stuck in an arranged, loveless marriage
and all while dealing with the effects of cerebral palsy.
Beijing-based director Fan Jian
is an accomplished documentary filmmaker,
and graduate of the Beijing Film Academy,
whose projects typically focus on Chinese social issues.
When speaking about Xiuhua,
Jian draws comparisons to other famous writers:
Emily Dickinson who also lived a life of isolation
and Virginia Woolf, who like Xiuhua,
also dealt with the depression
that can accompany unrequited love.
Director Jian says even though he is a man,
he understands Xiuhua's struggle.
The two became friends, and eventually,
she granted Jian open access to her personal life...
access any documentarian must have
to make a successful, insightful film.
Still Tomorrow starts now
on Wisconsin Public Television,
your home for independent film.