“A Different Sun” is for anyone who has ever gone through a difficult period in life—and that pretty much covers the entire human race. This marvelous movie is based on the novel written by Liu Ying. Chin Han plays Qing, Jing Xu portrays his wife Yun, and Catherine Jiang does an excellent job playing their 10-year-old daughter, Ling. All of the actors hit the right notes in their various roles, including Ashley Gerasimovich as Ling’s German friend Nina.
Qing and Yun move Ling and themselves to Germany, leaving China behind. Ling naturally doesn’t want to leave her friends, but it is Ling’s mother’s dream for her daughter to get a better education and to attend an academic school in Germany. It takes a while, but soon Ling begins to feel at home and she makes a new friend, Nina. They soon are inseparable. However, Ling loves to draw, and she adores art but is not doing as well in her other subjects. When she forges her mother’s signature on one report and her teacher knows it, Ling is in danger of not getting into the school she wants. She feels pressure by her mother to perform well, and her dad is under his own kind of pressure—he has some great ideas at his new job, but one stubborn man doesn’t want to work with him.
When Nina’s dad has an affair, and her mom and dad separate, Ling tries to help her mother as best she can. But when Ling’s mother learns that Ling not only forged her signature once, but twice, she is furious. And when her husband is more lenient about it than she wants him to be, Yun decides enough is enough, and she makes plans to move back to China. Will it turn around? Will a new day—a “different sun”—ever show up? This film is rich in characterizations and a tightly told story. The direction and scenery are excellent, and we are glad to award it our Dove Family-Approved Seal for ages 12-plus. This movie shows what can happen when a family unites and pulls together during the tough times!
