The Dull Ice Flower (, literally translated as lupine flower) is a 1989 Taiwanese drama film based on the novel of the same title by Chung Chao-cheng. Dealing with education and other social issues in rural Taiwan in the deprived 1950s and early 1960s, the story was adapted into a screenplay by Wu Nien-jen.
Synopsis Ku A-ming (古阿明) is a fourth grader at Chungshan Elementary School in Shuiyu Township. Despite being not very good in most subjects at school, he is very talented in art and has a great imagination, though most teachers cannot understand what he's expressing in his artwork. During a morning assembly, a new art teacher named Mr. Kuo asks if anyone is interested in joining the after school art club. Ku A-ming was the first one to volunteer. During an art competition, the school teachers voted to decide a winner to represent the school in a nationwide competition; most voted the mayor's son for their own interests. Since A-ming lost, Mr. Kuo protested by quitting his job at the school. Before he leaves, he asked A-ming to give him one of his drawings. Sadly, after Mr. Kuo has left, A-ming succumbs to his chronic liver illness, leaving behind an incomplete drawing. Mr. Kuo sends A-ming's drawing to a worldwide children's art competition, with A-ming's winning as the champion. The teachers begin to regret for neglecting A-ming's great artistic talent. During A-ming's funeral, A-ming's father burned his son's drawings to commemorate A-ming's passing.
Cast
Awards At the 26th annual Golden Horse Film Festival, The Dull Ice Flower was nominated for 6 awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Leading Actor, and Best Original Film Score. It won 2 awards, namely Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Film Song. The movie was chosen as “My most favourite Taiwan movie” in a poll organised by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute in 2023. In 2026 Cannes Film Festival, the film's restored version was selected for the Cannes Classics section.
See also Chien Yao Jenny Tseng Tseng Shu-chin
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Further reading