The Mosuo Sisters

Two sisters from the Mosuo populace, a tiny Chinese minority with a matriarchal culture, epitomize the tension between old ways and modern life in China in this documentary from filmmaker Marlo Poras. Juma, 25, the family breadwinner, has left her tiny Himalayan village and works in a Beijing bar serving patrons and performing traditional dances. She sends money home (although there's never enough to cover all of the household expenses), and pays the tuition for her sister Latso, 22, to attend accounting school in the capital city. The pair's hopes for a better life are shattered, however, when Juma loses her job and they must return home. As the authority figure, Juma's mother decides that Juma should return to Beijing, while the less talented Latso should remain on the farm. But Juma winds up realizing that she cannot count on steady employment, dependable income, or her boyfriend, and Latso happily settles into life as a Mosuo housewife. Along with interviews, the film captures everyday interactions and conversations, following the siblings from the streets of Beijing to the dry fields of their rural homestead, along the way highlighting the backbreaking work and primitive conditions (including ever-present flies) typical of Chinese country life. Latso experiences hardship but also security in a tradition-bound but disappearing culture, while Juma's life is fraught with insecurity and the constant pressure to make money. Offering a rare glimpse into a little-seen segment of Chinese society, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)