This German film talks about the conjugal love between Fanny Ebner (Nina Proll) and Ma Yun Long (Wang Zhi Wen), which had blossomed from a casual friendship to a long-lasting once-in-a-lifetime marriage. She met him while he’s undergoing training at a police academy in Vienna during the pre-first world war period. Their short-lived bliss in Vienna was cut short when he had to return to China after a war broke out in Austria. Nevertheless, he asked for her hand and sent her a boat ticket to China to live with him. Barely 18 years old and despite protests from parents and friends, Fanny embarked on the precarious month-long boat ride to China, guided only with her belief in her love with her man. And since then, there was no turning back for her and she did not at the least regret her decision.

The film was mostly told in flashback as elderly Fanny recalls her life story to a friend’s granddaughter who managed to locate her after several decades. The very first touching moment in the film is the undescribable feeling I felt when Fanny first reached a bridge near Yun Long’s village. She wanted to walk by herself but was insistently made to remain seated in the sedan chair by Yun Long. Yun Long then carried the sedan on himself and she said, “…and he carried me on his shoulder for the rest of my life.” He carried her to cross the bridge, with a blissful smile on his face. And this is the love that surpassed cross-cultural differences and political turmoil in China.

Life at China was not easy for them. It was a time when Cultural Revolution in China has just started. She had to meet her mother-in-law’s expectation of a traditional daughter-in-law. What I’d expected is a strong disagreement of rife between a typical conservative mother-in-law and a liberal foreigner daughter-in-law but the film does not show much of this. Instead, I’m quite surprised of the rather tolerant mother-in-law. In addition to that, due to Yun Long’s allegiance to the National Liberalist and not the newly empowered Communists, he was forced to go to prison camp. She was thus, left by herself to take care of her 3 kids and a mother-in-law. However hard life is, her unfailing love for her husband kept her going through the dire poverty. Still in the end, Yun Long did not survive the camp as he was put to death on the night Fanny sneaked into the camp to celebrate Christmas with him. The funeral ceremony was a solemn affair but nevertheless a touching one when she carried her man’s coffin on her shoulder to cross the bridge, the same way Yun Long did in the earlier part. After Yun Long’s death, she did not return to her homeland as she believed her roots lies where her man is and she wants to be buried next to Yun Long’s grave after her death.

As can be seen in most parts of the film, the love between Fanny and Yun Long can be strongly felt even by the audiences (at least, I feel it!). This, I attribute it to the good acting skills of the lead actor and actress. Of course, there were some minor soft funny parts inserted here and there (especially during the marriage ceremony) due to some cultural differences. I, however finds it uneasy when Yun Long speaks German all the time, even among his family members and friends. This is rather fake and unsuitable.

One last word: For those of you who dismiss this as just another sappy soap opera, you might have to consider the fact that this film is based on the true story of Gertrude Wagner and Du Chengrong. It was an unassuming love story that transcended struggles and hardships. Such love affair is hard to find in the modern times and should be appreciated by the modern generations.