THE SYMBOLIC MEANINGS OF NATURAL AND HUMANISTIC IMAGES IN THE FILM “XIAO XIAO, A HUNAN GIRL”

“Xiao Xiao, a Hunan Girl” is a drama directed by Xie Fei. The film presents us with a primitive yet simple story. Xiaoxiao, a girl from western Hunan, was forced into becoming a child bride. As time went by, Xiaoxiao gradually came of age. Her body and mind started to develop. She defied the feudal ethics and fell in love with Huagou, a long - term laborer in her in - law's family. Eventually, she got pregnant and tried to flee but was caught. However, she was forgiven by her in - law's family. Xiaoxiao's experience then repeated itself in the rural areas of western Hunan. Many natural and cultural images are used in the film, such as the distinctive housing architecture in western Hunan, vast sugarcane fields, chest - binding cloths, and mills. The use of these images all has symbolic meanings.