Yu Xiuhua is a poet. Yu Xiuhua lives on a farm in Hengdian, in central China’s Hubei Province. Yu Xiuhua is a woman. Yu Xiuhua has cerebral palsy. Yu is outspoken, wry, articulate, and ardent. Her frankly sexual poem “Crossing Half of China to Sleep with You” went viral on Chinese social media in January 2015, turning her into a nationwide sensation. Director Jian Fan follows Yu as literary fame opens up new possibilities for her at the age of 40. She embraces her new life eagerly, with no-nonsense aplomb. The text of Yu’s poetry is rendered beautifully onscreen accompanied by lush, languid visuals. Through Yu’s story, Fan subtly uncovers the conflicting dynamics of desire at play between urban and rural life, between men and women, and between an individual and societal norms.  DP