Dongmei: A Life Remembered

The book and the film

Long Yuejiang wrote her own autobiographical chronicle. The five-part animated documentary was created by the filmmaker behind this case study as an adaptation of her book.

While Dongmei was authored by Long Yuejiang herself, Young & Wise also offers clients support with memoir writing, shaping life stories and producing videos or documentary-style projects.

With quiet honesty and simple language, Dongmei records 75 years of one woman’s life, from 1946 to 2021. Born in a remote Dong village in the mountains of Guizhou, her earliest memories were shaped by firelight, handmade straw sandals, long silent nights and the hardships of rural life.

Over the decades, she experienced poverty, leaving school because of financial hardship, factory work in Beijing and retirement. She later returned to her homeland and helped preserve Dong cultural traditions and folk music. Through one woman’s life, the story also reflects the profound social changes experienced by ordinary people in modern China.

The films recreate fading memories: villages, traditional work, family warmth and the quiet resilience of everyday life.

Dedicated to the memory of Long Yuejiang (1946–2021).