Memories of Peking (2019)

Other name: 芝麻胡同, Zhima Hutong, Sesame Alley

Description:

Memories of Peking invites audiences to Beijing in 1947, immersing them in a heartfelt narrative of family, sacrifice, and enduring love. The story follows a dedicated pickle shop owner, haunted by the loss of his brother and nephew, who feels a profound duty to continue his family line. To fulfill this responsibility, and with his first wife's understanding, he marries a second woman – a resilient young individual driven by the urgent need to cure her ailing father.

What begins as a traditional arrangement gradually transforms into a deeply intertwined relationship. However, their lives face an unforeseen challenge in 1950 with the implementation of the New Marriage Law, forcing the couple to make an impossible choice: divorce. Despite this legal separation, the film beautifully portrays how these three individuals—the shop owner, his first wife, and his second wife—continue to live as an unconventional yet united family for decades. This is an intimate portrayal of ordinary people navigating extraordinary circumstances in a rapidly changing world.

Country: Chinese

Status: Completed

Released: 2019

Genre:Drama; Family; Historical; Romance