Dam Street is part of The Global Lens Collection

During a time of rigid moral code in China, a sixteen year old girl living in small riverside town discovers she is pregnant. The community is stunned, her family loses face and she and her boyfriend are expelled from their school; in the aftermath, her boyfriend leaves her, and she is forced to put her child up for adoption.

Ten years later, she is reduced to working as a singer in a local song and dance troupe, her only friend a young boy who protects her from the critical eyes of the community... until a marriage proposal probes the limits of their friendship and the depth of her unresolved past.

WINNER! GRAND PRIZE - BEST FILM, Deauville Asian Film Festival

WINNER! BEST DIRECTOR, Ghent Int’l Film Festival

WINNER! JURY PRIZE, Venice Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION- Toronto • Berlin • Edinburgh Film Festivals

What the Critics are Saying

"CHINESE FILMMAKING AT ITS BEST: Picturesque, emotive and haunting. This lyrical, quietly powerful study of a proud young woman trapped in a man’s world boasts rich, burnished cinematography, arresting imagery, and a stunning central performance from the beautiful Liu Yi."- Edinburgh International Film Festival

"Reminiscent of Zhang Yimou."- Eye for Eye (UK)

"Beautiful performances... A lyrical, affecting portrait." - Museum of Modern Art

"The sexual politics are provocative" - New York Times

"Beautiful cinematography and outstanding performances! Dam Street is an immensely touching and captivating story of love and marginalization created with Li’s skilled, caring directorial hand. MASTERFUL!" - Toronto International Film Festival