Editing Not One Less

{{short description|1999 film by Zhang Yimou}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox film
 | name               = Not One Less
 | image              = Not One Less.jpg
 | alt                = Film poster divided into three panels. The first depicts a serious-looking young Chinese woman with braided hair; she is standing, surrounded by blurred faces. The second panel shows a group of laughing children, all looking forward. The third panel shows a seated laughing boy, surrounded by the words, Not One Less. Other writing on the cover says, "From Zhang Yimou, award-winning director of Raise the Red Lantern", and the tagline "In her village, she was the teacher. In the city, she discovered how much she had to learn."
 | caption            = US theatrical release poster
 | native_name = {{Infobox Chinese/Chinese|child=yes|hide=no|header=none| s         = 一个都不能少
  | t        = 一個都不能少
  | p             = Yīgè dōu bùnéng shǎo}}
 | writer             = [[Shi Xiangsheng]]
 | producer           = Zhang Yimou
 | studio             = [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia]] <br> Guangxi Film <br> Beijing New Picture
 | distributor        = [[Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International]]
 | released           = {{Film date|df=yes|1999|09|07|[[Venice Film Festival|Venice]]|2000|01|14|Mexico|2000|02|18|United States}}
 | starring           = Wei Minzhi <br />Zhang Huike
 | director           = [[Zhang Yimou]]
 | music              = San Bao
 | cinematography     = [[Hou Yong (cinematographer)|Hou Yong]]
 | editing            = Zhai Ru
 | runtime            = 106 minutes
 | language           = Mandarin
 | country            = China
 | budget             =
}}
[[File:ZhangYimou-Hawaii.JPG|thumb|Director [[Zhang Yimou]]|alt=A middle-aged Chinese man standing at a podium, wearing a Hawaiian shirt and lei]]
'''''Not One Less''''' is a 1999 [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] by Chinese director [[Zhang Yimou]], adapted from [[Shi Xiangsheng]]'s 1997 story ''A Sun in the Sky'' ({{zh|c=天上有个太阳|p=''tiān shàng yǒu ge tàiyáng''|links=no}}).<ref name="Zhang136" /><ref name="KwokMcKnight102">{{Harvnb|Kwok|McKnight|2002|p=102}}.</ref> It was produced by Guangxi Film Studio and released by [[China Film Group Corporation]] in [[mainland China]], and distributed by [[Sony Pictures Classics]] in North America and [[Columbia TriStar Film Distributors]] internationally.

Set in the [[People's Republic of China]] during the 1990s, the film centers on a 13-year-old substitute teacher, Wei Minzhi, in the [[Rural society in China|Chinese countryside]]. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students. When one of the boys takes off in search of work in the big city, she goes looking for him. The film addresses [[Education in the People's Republic of China#Development|education reform in China]], the economic gap between urban and rural populations, and the prevalence of bureaucracy and authority figures in everyday life. It is filmed in a [[Neorealism (art)|neorealist]]/[[documentary film|documentary]] style with a troupe of non-professional actors who play characters with the same names and occupations as the actors have in real life, blurring the boundaries between drama and reality.

The domestic release of ''Not One Less'' was accompanied by a Chinese government campaign aimed at promoting the film and cracking down on [[Copyright infringement|piracy]]. Internationally, the film was generally well-received, but it also attracted criticism for its ostensibly political message; foreign critics are divided on whether the film should be read as praising or criticizing the Chinese government. When the film was excluded from the [[1999&nbsp;Cannes Film Festival]]'s competition section, Zhang withdrew it and another film from the festival, and published a letter rebuking Cannes for politicization of and "discrimination" against Chinese cinema. The film went on to win the [[Venice Film Festival]]'s [[Golden Lion]] and several other awards, and Zhang won the award for best director at the [[Golden Rooster Awards]].

== Background ==
In the 1990s, primary education reform had become one of the top priorities in the People's Republic of China. About 160&nbsp;million Chinese people had missed all or part of their education because of the [[Cultural Revolution]] in the late 1960s and early 1970s,<ref name="Wang344">{{Harvnb|Wang|2002|p=344}}.</ref> and in 1986 the [[National People's Congress]] enacted a law calling for nine years of compulsory education.<ref name="Wang340">{{Harvnb|Wang|2002|p=340}}.</ref> By 1993, it was clear that much of the country was making little progress on implementing nine-year compulsory education, so the 1993–2000&nbsp;seven-year plan focused on this goal. One of the major challenges educators faced was the large number of rural schoolchildren dropping out to pursue work.<ref name="Wang346">{{Harvnb|Wang|2002|p=346}}.</ref> Another issue was a large urban–rural divide: funding and teacher quality were far better in urban schools than rural, and urban students stayed in school longer.<ref>{{Harvnb|Knight|Shi|Song|2006|p=46}}.</ref>

== Production and cast ==
''Not One Less'' was Zhang Yimou's ninth film, but only the second not to star long-time collaborator [[Gong Li]] (the first was his 1997 ''[[Keep Cool (film)|Keep Cool]]'').<ref name="losingamuse">{{cite web | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Losing a Muse and Moving On | last=Feinstein | first=Howard | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/06/movies/losing-a-muse-and-moving-on.html?pagewanted=all | date=6 February 2000 | access-date=9 September 2009}}</ref> For this film, he cast only amateur actors whose real-life names and occupations resembled those of characters they played in the film—as ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''{{'}}s Steven Rea described the performances, the actors are just "people playing variations of themselves in front of the camera".<ref name="philly" /> For instance, Tian Zhenda, who played the mayor, was the real-life mayor of a small village,<ref name=Kraicer85>{{Harvnb|Kraicer|2001|p=85}}.</ref> and the primary actors Wei Minzhi and Zhang Huike were selected from among thousands of students in rural schools.<ref name="losingamuse" /><ref name="Wu128">{{Harvnb|Wu|2001|p=128}}.</ref> (The names and occupations of the film's main actors<ref name="NOLcredits" /><ref>{{cite web | url = http://eladies.sina.com.cn/yige/yige_chengyuan.html | title=一个都不能少 剧组成员 ("Not One Less" cast/crew members) | access-date=4 October 2009 | publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=zh}}</ref> are listed in the table below.) The movie was filmed on location at [[Chicheng County]]'s Shuiquan Primary School, and in the city of [[Zhangjiakou]];<ref name="NOLcredits">''Not One Less'', credits.</ref> both locations are in [[Hebei]] province.

The movie was filmed in a [[Documentary film|documentary]]-like, "[[Neorealism (art)|neorealist]]"<ref name="Kraicer85" /> style involving hidden cameras and natural lighting.<ref name="losingamuse" /><ref name="Kraicer85" /><ref name="womenofchina">{{cite web | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=Women of China, Chasing Their Impossible Dreams  | last=Scott | first=A.O. | date=27 May 2001 | access-date=9 September 2009 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/27/movies/film-women-of-china-chasing-their-impossible-dreams.html?scp=5&sq=}}</ref><ref name="realportrayal">{{Harvnb|Liu|Xu|2007}}.</ref> There are also, however, elements of heavy editing—for example, Shelly Kraicer noted that many scenes have frequent, rapid [[cut (transition)|cuts]], partially as a result of filming with inexperienced actors.<ref name="Kraicer86">{{Harvnb|Kraicer|2001|p=86}}.</ref>

Zhang had to work closely with government censors during production of the film. He related how the censors "kept reminding [me] not to show China as too backward and too poor", and said that on the title cards at the end of the movie he had to write that the number of rural children dropping out of school each year was one million, although he believed the number was actually three times that.<ref name="losingamuse" /> ''Not One Less'' was Zhang's first film to enjoy government support and resources.<ref name="Haoquote1">{{Harvnb|Hao|2004}}. "也是从那部影片开始，张艺谋将自己的创造能力与政府资本和主导媒体的宣传资源结合起来。"</ref>

=== Cast ===
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto;"
|-
! Name !! Role !! Real-life occupation
|-
| Wei Minzhi || Teacher Wei || middle school student
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Zhang Huike || class troublemaker, school dropout || primary school student
|-
| Tian Zhenda || Mayor Tian || mayor of a village in [[Yanqing county]]
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Gao Enman || Teacher Gao || village teacher in Yanqing county
|-
| Sun Zhimei || helps Wei search for Zhang Huike in the city || middle school student
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Feng Yuying || TV station receptionist || ticket clerk
|-
| Li Fanfan || TV show host || TV show host
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Zhang Yichang || sports recruiter || sports instructor
|-
| Xu Zhanqing || brickyard owner || mayor of a village in Yanqing county
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Liu Hanzhi || Zhang Huike's sick mother || villager
|-
| Ma Guolin || man in bus station || clerk
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Wu Wanlu || TV station manager || deputy manager of a broadcasting station
|-
| Liu Ru || train station announcer || announcer for a broadcasting station
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Wang Shulan || stationery store clerk || stationery store manager
|-
| Fu Xinmin || TV show director || TV station head of programming
|-style="background:#D3D3D3"
| Bai Mei || restaurant owner || restaurant manager
|-
|}

== Plot ==
Thirteen-year-old Wei Minzhi arrives in Shuiquan village to substitute for the village's only teacher (Gao Enman) while he takes a month's leave to care for his ill mother. When Gao discovers that Wei does not have a high school education and has no special talents, he instructs her to teach by copying his texts onto the board and then making the students copy them into their notebooks; he also tells her not to use more than one piece of chalk per day, because the village is too poor to afford more. Before leaving, he explains to her that many students have recently left school to find work in the cities, and he offers her a 10 [[Chinese yuan|yuan]] bonus if all the students are still there when he returns.

{{Quote box | quote=Wei Minzhi, you look after the students. More than ten have already left. I don't want to lose any more. The mayor promised fifty yuan; he'll make sure you get it. If all the students are here when I get back—not one less—you'll get an extra ten yuan. | source=—Teacher Gao, ''Not One Less'' (11:08–11:27) | align=left| width=25% | bgcolor=#FFFFE0  | salign=right}}
When Wei begins teaching, she has little rapport with the students: they shout and run around instead of copying their work, and the class troublemaker, Zhang Huike, insists that "she's not a teacher, she's Wei Chunzhi's big sister!" After putting the lesson on the board, Wei usually sits outside, guarding the door to make sure no students leave until they have finished their work. Early in the month, a sports recruiter comes to take one athletic girl, Ming Xinhong, to a special training school; unwilling to let any students leave, Wei hides Ming, and when the village mayor (Tian Zhenda) finds her, Wei chases after their car in a futile attempt to stop them; and yet they, the sports recruiter and mayor, first notice and comment on Wei's running ability, endurance, and tenacity.

One day, after trying to make the troublemaker Zhang apologize for bothering another student, Wei discovers that Zhang has left to go find work in the nearby city of [[Zhangjiakou]]. The village mayor is unwilling to give her money for a bus ticket to the city, so she resolves to earn the money herself, and recruits the remaining students to help. One girl suggests that they can make money by moving bricks in a nearby brickyard, and Wei begins giving the students mathematical exercises centered on finding out how much money they need to earn for the bus tickets, how many bricks they need to move, and how much time it will take. Through these exercises and working to earn money, her rapport with the class improves. After earning the money, she reaches the bus station but learns that the price is higher than she thought, and she cannot afford a ticket. Wei ends up walking most of the way to Zhangjiakou.

{{Location map+|China|float=right|caption=Location of [[Zhangjiakou]], relative to [[Beijing]]|places=
{{Location map~|China|lat_deg=40|lat_min=49|lon_deg=114|lon_min=53|position=top|background=#FFFFFF|label=Zhangjiakou}}
{{Location map~|China|lat_deg=39|lat_min=54|lat_sec=50|lon_deg=116|lon_min=23|lon_sec=30|position=bottom|background=#FFFFFF|mark=Green pog.svg|label=Beijing}}
|alt=Map of China, with Zhangjiakou and Beijing marked. The cities are close together in northeast China; Zhangjiakou is slightly northwest of Beijing.}}

In the city, Wei finds the people that Zhang was supposed to be working with, only to discover that they had lost him at the train station days before. She forces another girl her age, Sun Zhimei, to help her look for Zhang at the train station, but they do not find him. Wei has no success finding Zhang through the [[public address system]] and "missing person" posters, so she goes to the local television station to broadcast a missing person notice. The receptionist (Feng Yuying) will not let her in without valid identification, though, and says the only way she can enter is with permission from the station manager, whom she describes as "a man with glasses". For the rest of the day, Wei stands by the station's only gate, stopping every man with glasses, but she does not find the station manager, and spends the night asleep on the street. The next day the station manager (Wu Wanlu) sees her at the gate again, through his window, and lets her in, scolding the receptionist for making her wait outside.

Although Wei has no money to run an ad on TV, the station manager is interested in her story and decides to feature Wei in a talk show special about rural education. On the talk show, Wei is nervous and hardly says a word when the host (Li Fanfan) addresses her, but Zhang—who has been wandering the streets begging for food—sees the show. After Wei and Zhang are reunited, the station manager arranges to have them driven back to Shuiquan village, along with a truckload of school supplies and donations that viewers had sent in. Upon their return, they are greeted by the whole village. In the final scene, Wei presents the students with several boxes of colored chalk that were donated, and allows each student to write one character on the board. The film ends with a series of title cards that recount the actions of the characters after the film ends, and describe the problem of poverty in rural education in China.

== Themes ==
While most of Zhang's early films had been [[historical epic]]s, ''Not One Less'' was one of the first to focus on contemporary China.<ref name="Cardullo114" /><ref name="Lu414">{{Harvnb|Lu|2002|p=414}}.</ref> The film's main theme involves the difficulties faced in providing rural education in China. When Wei Minzhi arrives in Shuiquan village, the teacher Gao has not been paid in six months and the school building is in disrepair,<ref name="Zhang133">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=133}}.</ref> and chalk is in such short supply that Gao gives Wei specific instructions limiting how large her written characters should be.<ref name="Kemp" /> Wei sleeps in the school building, sharing a bed with several female students. The version of the film released overseas ends with a series of title cards in English, the last of which reads, "Each year, poverty forces one million children in China to leave school. Through the help of donations, about 15% of these children return to school."

[[File:Abbas-kiarostami-venice.jpg|thumb|''Not One Less'' has thematic and stylistic similarities to the work of Iranian director [[Abbas Kiarostami]].|alt=Black-and-white head portrait of an older man with short hair and sunglasses]]
Because the people and locations used in the film are real but are carefully selected and edited, the film creates a "friction"<ref name="Kraicer86" /> between documentary reality and narrative fiction.  This balancing act between the real and the imaginary has drawn comparisons to neorealist works such as those of [[Iran|Iranian]] directors [[Abbas Kiarostami]] and [[Mohsen Makhmalbaf]],<ref name="womenofchina" /><ref name="Kraicer85-6">{{Harvnb|Kraicer|2001|pp=85–6}}.</ref><ref name="singapore" /> and Zhang has openly acknowledged the influence of Kiarostami in this film.<ref name="independent">{{cite web | last=Adair | first=Gilbert | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/kids-these-days-really-know-how-to-act-697388.html | title=Kids these days really known how to act | work=[[The Independent]] | date=26 June 2000 | access-date=19 October 2009 }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Zhang Xiaoling of the [[University of Nottingham]] argues that Zhang Yimou used the documentary perspective in order to suggest that the story is an accurate reflection of most rural areas in China,<ref name="Zhang138">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=138}}.</ref> while Shelly Kraicer believes that his "simultaneous presentation of seemingly opposing messages" is a powerful artistic method in of itself, and that it allows Zhang to circumvent censors by guaranteeing that the movie will include at least one message that they like.<ref name="Kraicer86" /> [[Jean-Michel Frodon]] of ''[[Le Monde]]'' maintains that the film was produced "in the shadow of two superpowers"  and needed to make compromises with each.<ref name="lemondequote1">{{cite news | work=[[Le Monde]]| last=Frodon | first=Jean-Michel |author-link=Jean-Michel Frodon | date=3 November 1999 | title=Un Lion d'or à l'ombre des grandes puissances; Pas un de moins. Zhang Yimou se soumet à des compromis sans abdiquer entièrement son talent ("A Golden Lion in the shadow of great powers; ''Not One Less''. Zhang Yimou submits to compromises without entirely abdicating his talent") | quote=... ce nouveau film a été réalisé dans l'ombre portée de deux superpuissances|language=fr}}</ref>

The film addresses the prominent place that bureaucracy, and verbal negotiation and struggle, occupy in everyday life in China. Many scenes pit Wei against authority figures such as the village mayor, the announcer in the train station, and the TV station receptionist who also acts as a "gatekeeper".<ref name="Kraicer87">{{Harvnb|Kraicer|2001|p=87}}.</ref><ref name="KwokMcKnight103">{{Harvnb|Kwok|McKnight|2002|p=103}}.</ref> Aside from Wei, many characters in the film show a "blind faith" in authority figures.<ref name="Zhang137" /> While she lacks money and power, Wei overcomes her obstacles through sheer obstinacy and ignorant persistence,<ref name="Zhang136">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=136}}.</ref><ref name="tothetest" /><ref name="filmjournal" /> suggesting that speech and perseverance can overcome barriers.<ref name="Kraicer87" /> Wei becomes an example of "heroic obstinacy"<ref name="Cardullo114">{{Harvnb|Cardullo|2004|p=114}}.</ref> and a model of using determination to face "overwhelming odds".<ref name="Lu414" /> For this reason, the film has been frequently compared to Zhang's 1993 ''[[The Story of Qiu Ju]]'', whose heroine is also a determined, stubborn woman; likewise, ''Qiu Ju'' is also filmed in a neo-realistic style, set partially in contemporary rural China and partially in the city,<ref name="lemonde">{{cite news | work=[[Le Monde]]| last=Frodon | first=Jean-Michel |author-link=Jean-Michel Frodon | date=3 November 1999 | title=Un Lion d'or à l'ombre des grandes puissances; Pas un de moins. Zhang Yimou se soumet à des compromis sans abdiquer entièrement son talent ("A Golden Lion in the shadow of great powers; ''Not One Less''. Zhang Yimou submits to compromises without entirely abdicating his talent") |language=fr}}</ref><ref name="Lu2005-122">{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|p=122}}.</ref> and employs mostly amateur actors.<ref name="Ebert">{{cite web | url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19930528/REVIEWS/305280303/1023 | title=The Story of Qiu Ju | last=Ebert | first=Roger | author-link=Roger Ebert | date=28 May 1993 | access-date=17 September 2009 | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | archive-date=28 September 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928222648/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19930528/REVIEWS/305280303/1023 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

''Not One Less''  portrays the mass media as a locus of power: Wei discovers that only someone with money or connections can gain access to a television station, but once someone is on camera she or he becomes part of an "invisible [[media hegemony]]" with the power to "manipulate social behavior", catching people's attention where paper advertisements could not and moving cityfolk to donate money to a country school.<ref name="Cui124-5">{{Harvnb|Cui|2003|pp=124–5}}.</ref> The power of television within the film's story, according to Laikwan Pang of the [[Chinese University of Hong Kong]], reflects its prominent place in Chinese society of the late 1990s, when domestic cinema was floundering but television was developing quickly; Pang argues that television-watching forms a "collective consciousness" for Chinese citizens, and that the way television unifies people in ''Not One Less'' is an illustration of this.<ref name="Pang119-120">{{Harvnb|Pang|2004|pp=119–20}}.</ref>

[[File:Zhangjiakou full view.jpg|left|thumb|[[Zhangjiakou]], where the "urban" half of the film takes place|alt=Aerial view of a city, surrounded mostly by desert. In the foreground and background are hills with sparse vegetation.]]
Money is important throughout the film.<ref name="philly">{{cite news | title=In a Chinese village, the teacher is 13 | last=Rea | first=Steven | work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]] | date=24 March 2000}}</ref> Concerns about money dominate much of the film—for example, a large portion is devoted to Wei and her students' attempt to earn enough money for bus tickets<ref name="Cui123-4">{{Harvnb|Cui|2003|pp=123–4}}.</ref>—as well as motivating them. Most major characters, including Wei, demand payment for their actions,<ref name="Cardullo115">{{Harvnb|Cardullo|2004|p=115}}.</ref> and it is left unclear whether Wei's search for Zhang Huike is motivated by altruism or by the promise of a 10-yuan bonus.<ref name="Zhu215" /><ref name="winningwei" /> Zhu Ying points out the prominence of money in the film creates a conflict between traditional [[Confucianism|Confucian]] values (such as the implication that the solutions to Wei's problems can be found through the help of authority figures) and modern, [[Capitalism|capitalist]] and [[Individualism|individualistic]] society.<ref name="Zhu215">{{Harvnb|Zhu|2003|p=215}}.</ref>

Finally, the film illustrates the growing urban–rural divide in China. When Wei reaches Zhangjiakou, the film creates a clear contrast between urban and rural life,<ref name="KwokMcKnight103" /><ref name="filmjournal" /> and the two locations are physically separated by a dark tunnel.<ref name="Zhang134" /> The city is not portrayed as idyllic; rather, Zhang shows that rural people are faced with difficulties and discrimination in the cities. While Wei's first view of the city exposes her to well-dressed people and modern buildings, the living quarters she goes to while searching for Zhang Huike are cramped and squalid.<ref name="Zhang134" /> Likewise, the iron gate where Wei waits all day for the TV station director reflects the barriers poor people face to survival in the city, and the necessity of [[guanxi|connections]] to avoid becoming an "outsider" in the city.<ref name="Zhang136" /> Frequent cuts show Wei and Zhang wandering aimlessly in the streets, Zhang begging for food, and Wei sleeping on the sidewalk; when an enthusiastic TV host later asks Zhang what part of the city left the biggest impression, Zhang replies that the one thing he will never forget is having to beg for food.<ref name="Zhang139" /> A.O. Scott of ''[[The New York Times]]'' compared the "unbearable" despair of the film's second half to that of [[Vittorio De Sica]]'s 1948 ''[[Bicycle Thieves]]''.<ref name="tothetest" />

== Reception ==

=== Cannes withdrawal ===
{{Quote box | quote=I cannot accept that when it comes to Chinese films, the West seems for a long time to have had just the one 'political' reading: if it's not "against the government" then it's "for the government". The naïveté and lack of perspective [lit. "one-sidedness"] of using so simple a concept to judge a film is obvious. With respect to the works of directors from America, France and Italy for example, I doubt you have the same point of view. | source=—Zhang Yimou (20 April 1999). ''Beijing Youth Daily''.  | align=right | width=30% | bgcolor=#FFFFE0  | salign=right}}
Neither ''Not One Less'' nor Zhang's other 1999 film ''[[The Road Home (1999 film)|The Road Home]]'' was selected for the 1999 Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection, the most prestigious competition in the festival, where several of Zhang's earlier films had won awards.<ref name="Lu2005-126">{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|p=126}}.</ref><ref name="Da47">{{Harvnb|Da|2000|p=47}}.</ref> The rationale is uncertain; Shelly Kraicer and Zhang Xiaoling claim that Cannes officials viewed the ''Not One Less''{{'}} happy ending, with the main characters' conflicts resolved by the generosity of city dwellers and higher-up officials, as pro-China propaganda,<ref name="Kraicer84">{{Harvnb|Kraicer|2001|p=84}}.</ref><ref name="Zhang131">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=131}}.</ref> while Zhu Ying claims that the officials saw it and ''The Road Home'' as too ''anti''-government.<ref name="Zhu122">{{Harvnb|Zhu|2003|p=122}}.</ref> Rather than have his films shown in a less competitive portion of the festival, Zhang withdrew them both in protest, stating that the movies were apolitical.<ref name="Kraicer84" /><ref name="Zhang131" /><ref name="Zhu122" /> In an open letter published in the ''[[Beijing Youth Daily]]'', Zhang accused the festival of being motivated by other than artistic concerns, and criticized the Western perception that all Chinese films must be either "pro-government" or "anti-government", referring to it as a "discrimination against Chinese films".<ref>The original Chinese text of the letter is available at {{cite web | url=http://news.sina.com.cn/living/9904/042004.html | title=张艺谋郑重声明退出戛纳电影节 (Zhang Yimou solemnly declares his withdrawal from Cannes Film Festival) | publisher=[[Sina.com]] | date=20 April 1999 | access-date=10 September 2009}}<br />An English translation is available in {{Harvtxt|Zhu|2003|p=140}}.</ref>

=== Critical response ===
''Not One Less'' has an approval rating of 96% on [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], based on 47 reviews, and an average rating of 7.6/10.<ref>{{cite web|title=Not One Less|url = https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/not_one_less/ |website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date =10 September 2009}}</ref>[[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 73 out of 100, based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="metacritic">{{cite web | url=https://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/notoneless?q=Not%20One%20Less | website=[[Metacritic]] | access-date=10 September 2009 | title=Not One Less }}</ref> 

Many focused on the film's ending title cards: several compared them to a [[public service announcement]],<ref name="losingamuse" /><ref name="publicservice">{{cite news | work=[[The Sunday Times]] | title=Not One Less | date=25 June 2000 | last=Porter | first=Edward}}</ref> and Philip Kemp of ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' wrote, "All that's missing is the address we should send donations to."<ref name="Kemp">{{cite web | work=[[Sight and Sound]] | date=August 2000 | access-date=9 September 2009 | url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/459 | title=Not One Less | last=Kemp | first=Philip | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081002015703/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/459 | archive-date=2 October 2008}}</ref> Zhang Xiaoling, on the other hand, considered the titles to be an implicit criticism of the state of rural education in China, saying, "the news that voluntary contributions have helped 15 percent of the pupils to return to school is aimed to give rise to a question: what about the remaining 85 percent?"<ref name="Zhang139">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=139}}.</ref> The disagreement about the title cards is also reflected in the critical reaction to the rest of the film's resolution. Kemp described the ending as "feelgood" and criticized the film for portraying officials and generous cityfolk as coming to the rescue,<ref name="Kemp" /> ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'}}s Desson Howe called the ending "flag-waving",<ref name="WP">{{cite web | work=[[The Washington Post]] | last=Howe | first=Desson | access-date=10 September 2009 | date=17 March 2009 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/notonelesshowe.htm | title=Not One Less}}</ref> and ''[[The Independent]]''{{'}}s [[Gilbert Adair]] called it "sugary".<ref name="independent" /> [[Alberto Barbera]] of the [[Venice Film Festival]], on the other hand, said that while the end of the film may have been like propaganda, the rest was a "strong denunciation of a regime that is unable to assure proper education for the country children".<ref name="losingamuse" /> Likewise, Zhang Xiaoling argued that although the film superficially appears to praise the city people and officials, its [[subtext]] is harshly critical of them: he pointed out that the apparently benevolent TV station manager seems to be motivated more by audience ratings than by altruism, that the receptionist's callous manner towards Wei is a result of Chinese "bureaucratism and nepotism",<ref name="Zhang137">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=137}}.</ref> and that for all the good things about the city, Zhang Huike's clearest memory of city life is having to beg for food.<ref name="Zhang139" /> Zhang and Kraicer both argued that critics who see the film as pro-government propaganda are missing the point and, as Kraicer put it, "mistaking [one] layer as the message of the film&nbsp;... mistaking the part for the whole".<ref name="Kraicer86" /><ref name="Zhang131" /> David Ansen of ''[[Newsweek]]'' and Leigh Paatsch of the ''[[Herald Sun]]'' each pointed out that, while the film is "deceptive[ly]" positive<ref name="winningwei">{{cite web | last=Ansen | first=David | work=[[Newsweek]] | url=http://www.newsweek.com/2000/03/05/winning-wei.html | title=Winning Wei | date=6 March 2000 | access-date=19 October 2009}}</ref> at face value, it has harsh criticism "bubbling under the surface".<ref name="bubbling">{{cite news | work=[[Herald Sun]] | first=Leigh | last=Paatsch | title=China's new class wars | date=19 February 2000}}</ref> Chinese critics Liu Xinyi and Xu Su of ''Movie Review'' recognized the dispute abroad over whether the film was pro- or anti-government, but made no comment; they praised the film for its realistic portrayal of hardships facing rural people, without speculating about whether Zhang intended to criticize or praise the government's handling of those hardships.<ref name="realportrayal" /> Hao Jian of ''Film Appreciation'', on the other hand, was more critical, claiming that the movie was organized around a political message and was intended to be pro-government. Hao said that ''Not One Less'' marked the beginning of Zhang's transformation from an outspoken independent director to one of the government's favorites.<ref name="Haoquote2">{{Harvnb|Hao|2004}}. "从《一个都不能少》开始，张艺谋开始按照政治上的主导意识来安排自己影片中人物的动机发展和行动的走向与结局。该片剧作的转折点力量（爱民的电视台台长）的编排具有中国语境内的政治保险性。"</ref>

Overall, critics were impressed with the performances of the amateur actors,<ref name="Kemp" /><ref name="independent" /><ref name="filmjournal">{{cite web | work=[[Film Journal International]] | last=Lally | first=Kevin | title=Not One Less | url=http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000697370 | access-date=19 October 2009 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130122221540/http://www.filmjournal.com/filmjournal/esearch/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000697370 | archive-date=22 January 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[Jean-Michel Frodon]] of ''[[Le Monde]]'' called that the film's greatest success.<ref name="lemondequote2">{{cite news | work=[[Le Monde]]| last=Frodon | first=Jean-Michel |author-link=Jean-Michel Frodon | date=3 November 1999 | title=Un Lion d'or à l'ombre des grandes puissances; Pas un de moins. Zhang Yimou se soumet à des compromis sans abdiquer entièrement son talent ("A Golden Lion in the shadow of great powers; ''Not One Less''. Zhang Yimou submits to compromises without entirely abdicating his talent") | quote=... la plus belle réussite du film|language=fr}}</ref> Peter Rainer of ''[[New York Magazine]]'' praised the scene of Wei's interview on TV as "one of the most improbably satisfying love scenes on film".<ref name="ny_mag" /> The film also received praise for its artistic merits and [[Hou Yong (cinematographer)|Hou Yong]]'s cinematography,<ref name="ottawa">{{cite news | last=Kennedy | first=Janice | date=16 July 2000 | work=[[The Ottawa Citizen]] | title=Zhang Yimou delivers another gem}}</ref> even though its visuals were simplistic compared to Zhang's previous films;<ref name="singapore">{{cite news | title=Life's little lessons | work=[[Business Times (Singapore)|Business Times]] | date=3 December 1999 | last=Tsang | first=Susan}}</ref><ref name="winningwei" /> for example, A.O. Scott of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the "richness" displayed by the film despite its deliberate scarcity of color.<ref name="tothetest">{{cite web | work=[[The New York Times]] | title=A Substitute Teacher Is Put to the Test | last=Scott | first=A.O. | date=18 February 2000 | access-date=9 September 2009 | url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E01EEDC1131F93BA25751C0A9669C8B63|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120118204235/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9E01EEDC1131F93BA25751C0A9669C8B63 |archive-date=18 January 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Reviewers also pointed out that Zhang had succeeded in breaking away from the "commercial entertainment wave" of popular film.<ref name="Zhu216">{{Harvnb|Zhu|2003|p=216}}.</ref> Noel Vera of ''[[BusinessWorld]]'' writes that the film concerns itself mainly with emotional impact, at the expense of visual extravagance, making it the opposite of earlier Zhang Yimou films such as ''[[Red Sorghum (film)|Red Sorghum]]''.<ref name="business">{{cite news | date=5 November 1999 | last=Vera | first=Noel | title=One of the finest films to come out in the '90s | work=[[BusinessWorld]]}}</ref> Other critics noted the strength of the film's storytelling; for instance, Rainer called the film an "uncommon, and uncommonly moving, love story",<ref name="ny_mag">{{cite magazine|url=https://nymag.com/nymetro/movies/reviews/2085/|title=Not One Less|author=Peter Rainer|magazine=[[New York (magazine)|New York]]}}</ref> and ''[[Film Journal International]]''{{'}}s Kevin Lally described it as "a poignant story of poverty and spirit reminiscent of the great [[Italian neo-realism|Italian neo-realists]]."<ref name="filmjournal" /> Another well-received part of the film was the segment in which Wei teaches math by creating practical examples out of her attempt to raise money for the bus to Zhangjiakou; in the Chinese journal ''Teacher Doctrines'', Mao Wen wrote that teachers should learn from Wei's example and provide students with practical exercises.<ref name="MaoWen">{{Harvnb|Mao|2003}}.</ref>

Wei Minzhi's character received mixed reactions: Scott described her as a "heroic" character who demonstrates how obstinacy can be a virtue,<ref name="tothetest" /> whereas Richard Corliss of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' says she is "no brighter or more resourceful than [her students]".<ref name="Time">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000524011535/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/shorttakes/0%2C3415%2C1101000228%2C00.html |archive-date=24 May 2000 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/shorttakes/0,3415,1101000228,00.html |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=10 September 2009 |title=Not One Less |url-status=dead }}</ref> Reactions to the city portion of the movie were also mixed: while Zhang describes the second half of the film as an eloquent commentary on China's urban-rural divide<ref name="Zhang134">{{Harvnb|Zhang|2001|p=134}}.</ref> and Kevin Lally calls it "startling",<ref name="filmjournal" /> Kemp criticizes it for being a predictable "Victorian cliché".<ref name="Kemp" />

=== Box office and release ===
{{Anchor|Box office}}
Rights to distribute the film were purchased by the China Film Group Corporation, a state-sponsored organization, and the government actively promoted the film.<ref name="Pang119" /> It was officially released in mainland China in {{Nowrap|April 1999}},<ref name="Pang118" /> although there were showings as early as mid-February.<ref name="Lu2005-129" /> Sheldon H. Lu reports that the film grossed [[Renminbi|¥]]18&nbsp;million, an average amount, in its first three months of showing; by the end of its run in November, it sold ¥40&nbsp;million at the box office.<ref name="Lu2005-129">{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|p=129}}.</ref> (In comparison, Zhang's 2002 film ''[[Hero (2002 film)|Hero]]'' would earn ¥270&nbsp;million three years later.)<ref name="Lu2005-132">{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|p=132}}.</ref> Nevertheless, ''Not One Less'' was the highest-grossing domestic film of 1999, and Laikwan Pang has called it a "box office success".<ref name="Pang118">{{Harvnb|Pang|2004|p=118}}.</ref> In the United States, the film was released in theaters on {{Nowrap|18 February}} 2000, and grossed $50,256 in its first weekend and $592,586 overall;<ref name="boxofficemojo">{{cite web | work=[[Box Office Mojo]] | url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=notoneless.htm | access-date=16 September 2009 | title=Not One Less}}</ref> The release was handled by [[Sony Pictures Classics]],<ref name="tothetest" /> and home video distribution by [[Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group|Columbia TriStar]];<ref name="Kraicer87" /><ref name="lemonde" /> ''Not One Less'' was Columbia's first Chinese film.<ref name="Redeeming">{{cite news | title=Redeeming features | work=[[South China Morning Post]] | date=22 January 2006 | last=Liu | first=Joey}}</ref>

Lu warns that domestic box office sales are not reliable indicators of a film's popularity in mainland China, because of piracy and because of state or social group sponsorship;<ref>{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|pp=126–7, 129–31}}.</ref> many workers were given free tickets to promote the film, and a 1999 report claimed that more tickets were purchased by the government than by individuals.<ref name="Pang119">{{Harvnb|Pang|2004|p=119}}.</ref> The film was more popular than most government-promoted films touting the party line and Lu claims that it had "tremendous social support",<ref>{{Harvnb|Lu|2005|p=31}}.</ref> but Pang points out that its success was "not purely egalitarian, but partly constructed."<ref name="Pang120">{{Harvnb|Pang|2004|p=120}}.</ref>

At the time of ''Not One Less''{{'}} release, DVD and VCD piracy was a growing concern in mainland China, and the [[Intellectual property in the People's Republic of China|China Copyright Office]] issued a notice forbidding unauthorized production or distribution of the film. This was the first time China had enacted special copyright protections for a domestic film.<ref name="eladies_sina">{{cite web | url=http://eladies.sina.com.cn/yige/ | access-date=5 October 2009 | title=一个都不能少 新闻摘要 (''Not One Less'' news summary) | publisher=[[Sina.com]]|language=zh}}</ref><ref name="realportrayalquote1">{{Harvnb|Liu|Xu|2007}}. "这是我国第一次对国产影片的版权实行如此正式的保护。"</ref> On {{Nowrap|21 April}} 1999, [[Hubei]] province's [[Culture Office]] issued an "Urgent Notice for Immediate Confiscation of Pirated ''Not One Less'' VCDs", and two days later the Culture Office and movie company joined forces to conduct raids on ten audio-video stores, seizing pirated discs from six of them.<ref name="eladies_sina" />

=== Awards ===
Although it was withdrawn from Cannes, ''Not One Less'' went on to win the [[Golden Lion]], the top award at the [[Venice Film Festival]].<ref name="Kraicer84" /> Zhang also received a best director award at the [[Golden Rooster Award|Golden Rooster]], mainland China's most prestigious award ceremony,<ref name="GoldenRooster" /> and the film was voted one of the top three of the year in the [[Hundred Flowers Awards]].<ref name="HundredFlowers" /> Awards the film won or was nominated for are listed below.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto;"
|-
! Awards
! width="5%"|Year
! Category
! Result
! Notes
|-
|rowspan="4" valign="center"|[[Venice Film Festival]]<ref name="imdbawards">{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209189/awards | website=[[IMDb]] | title=Awards for Yi ge dou bu neng shao | access-date=4 October 2009}}</ref>
|rowspan="4" valign="center" align="center"|1999
|[[Golden Lion]]
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Lanterna Magica award
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Sergio Trasatti award
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|UNICEF award
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[Golden Rooster Awards]]<ref name="GoldenRooster">{{cite web | title=The Golden Rooster Award (1999) | url=http://www.yesasia.com/us/yumcha/golden-rooster-awards/0-0-0-aeid.1002_aey.1999_sb.154-en/film-awards.html | publisher=[[YesAsia]] | access-date=10 September 2009}}</ref><ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|1999
|Best Director
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[Hundred Flowers Awards]]<ref name="HundredFlowers">{{cite web | title=Hundred Flowers Awards (1999) | url=http://www.yesasia.com/global/yumcha/hundred-flowers-awards/0-0-0-aeid.1003_aey.1999_sb.154-en/film-awards.html | publisher=[[YesAsia]] | access-date=12 September 2009}}</ref><ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|1999
|Best Picture
|{{Won}}
|with two other films<!--''[[The Matchmaker (1999 film)|The Matchmaker]]'' and ''[[Male Sorority Director]]''-->
|-
|rowspan="2" valign="center"|Shanghai Film Critics Awards<ref name="imdbawards" />
|rowspan="2" valign="center" align="center"|1999
|Film of Merit
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Best Director
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Beijing Student Film Festival<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|1999
|Jury Award: Best Film
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|rowspan="2" valign="center"|China Obelisk Film Awards<ref name="Lu2005-126"/>
|rowspan="2" valign="center" align="center"|1999
|Outstanding Film Director
|{{Won}}
|with two other directors
|-
|Outstanding Feature Film
|{{Won}}
|with nine other films
|-
|[[São Paulo International Film Festival]]<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|1999
|Audience Award: Best Feature
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[European Film Awards]]<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|1999
|Screen International Award
|{{nom}}
|
|-
|[[Golden Bauhinia Awards]]<ref name="Bauhinia">{{cite web | url=http://www.dianying.com/en/awards/goldbauhinia/246 | access-date=9 October 2009 | date=19 March 2000 | title=The Winner of 5th Golden Bauhinia Awards, 2000 | publisher=Chinese Movie Database}}<br />* {{cite web | publisher=[[Golden Bauhinia Awards]] | url=http://www.hkfca.org/GBA/result5.htm | title=2000年第五屆金紫荊獎得獎名單 (List of winners at the 5th Golden Bauhinia Awards, 2000) | date=4 August 2005 | access-date=9 October 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080319230941/http://www.hkfca.org/GBA/result5.htm| archive-date = 19 March 2008|language=zh}}</ref>
|align="center"|2000
|Top 10 Chinese films
|{{Won}}
|with nine other films
|-
|rowspan="2" valign="center"|[[Young Artist Awards]]<ref name="imdbawards" />
|rowspan="2" valign="center" align="center"|2000
|Best International Film
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Best Performance in an International Film (Young Performer)
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Kinema Junpo Awards<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|2001
|Best Foreign Language Film Director
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|Isfahan International Festival of Films<br />for Children & Young Adults<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|2001
|Golden Butterfly
|{{Won}}
|
|-
|[[Changchun Film Festival]]<ref name="imdbawards" />
|align="center"|2008
|Golden Deer: Outstanding Film in Rural Theme
|{{Won}}
|with four other films
|-
|}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |last = Cardullo | first=Bert |year=2004 |title = In search of cinema: writings on international film art |isbn = 978-0-7735-2707-2 |publisher = McGill-Queen's Press |url = https://archive.org/details/insearchofcinema0000card |url-access = registration |quote = not one less. }}
* {{cite book |last=Cui |first=Shuqin |title = Women through the lens: gender and nation in a century of Chinese cinema |year=2003 |publisher = University of Hawaii Press |isbn = 978-0-8248-2532-4 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=u1tnXMJRzwQC&q=%22not+one+less%22 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Da |first=Lan |title = After Zhang Yimou's withdrawal from Cannes |journal = Chinese Sociology and Anthropology |volume=32 |issue=2 |year=2000 }}
* {{cite journal |title = 唯漂亮主义—关于国家新形象的塑造 |trans-title = Aesthecism—On the shaping of the new national image |last=Hao |first=Jian (郝建) |journal = 《电影欣赏》(Film Appreciation) |year=2004 |issue=121 |language = zh }}<!-- http://www.socaps.org/Articles/DetailedArticle.aspx?articleId=465 -->
* {{cite book |chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tdAAR0KIydgC&q=%22THE%20RURAL-URBAN%20DIVIDE%20AND%20THE%20EVOLUTION%20OF%20POLITICAL%20ECONOMY%22&pg=PA44 |page = 46 |last1 = Knight |first1 = John |last2=Shi |first2=Li |last3=Song |first3=Lina |chapter = The Rural-Urban Divide and the Evolution of Political Economy in China |title = Human development in the era of globalization: essays in honor of Keith B. Griffin |year=2006 |isbn = 978-1-84542-593-7 |editor1= Keith B. Griffin |editor2=James K. Boyce }}
* {{cite journal |journal=Persimmons |year=2001 |volume=1 |issue=3 |title = Not One Less |url = http://www.chinesecinemas.org/notoneless.html |last=Kraicer |first=Shelly |access-date = 9 September 2009 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Kwok |first1=Juanita |last2=McKnight |first2=Lucinda |year=2002 |title = Film Asia: new perspectives on film for English |chapter=Not One Less |isbn = 978-1-86366-543-8 |publisher = Curriculum Corporation |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=L_bohqXDXVsC&q=%22not+one+less%22 }}
* {{cite journal |script-title =zh:农村教育的现实描摹—电影《一个都不能少》评析  |trans-title = A real portrayal of rural education—Commentary and analysis of the movie ''Not One Less'' |last1=Liu | first1=Xingyi (刘行一) |last2=Xu |first2=Su (许苏) |journal = 《电影评介》(Movie Review) |volume=24 |year=2007 |language = zh }}
* {{cite book |last=Lu |first=Sheldon H. |editor=Yvonne Tasker |title = Fifty contemporary filmmakers |chapter=Zhang Yimou |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn = 978-0-415-18974-3 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xjQ7ifqiIksC&q=%22not+one+less%22 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lu |first = Sheldon H |editor1= Sheldon H. Lu |editor2=Emilie Yueh-Yu Yeh |chapter = Chinese film culture at the end of the twentieth century: the case of ''Not One Less'' by Zhang Yimou |year=2005 |isbn = 0-8248-2813-5 |title = Chinese-Language Film: Historiography, Poetics, Politics }}
* {{cite journal |journal = 《师道》 (Teacher Doctrines) |last=Mao |first = Wen (毛文) |year = 2003 |volume=3 |issue=6 |title = 我们的课堂还缺少点什么? --从影片《一个都不能少》谈起 |trans-title = Are our classrooms still missing a little something? Insight from the film ''Not One Less'' |language = zh }}
* {{cite journal |last=Pang |first=Laikwan |title = Piracy/Privacy: The Despair of Cinema and Collectivity in China |year=2004 |journal = Boundary 2 |volume=31 | issue=3 |pages=101–124 |doi=10.1215/01903659-31-3-101 |s2cid=161527685 }}
* {{cite book |last=Wang |first = James CF |year=2002 |title = Contemporary Chinese Politics: an introduction |edition = 7th |isbn = 0-13-090782-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Wu |first = Cynthia |title = Zhang Yimou: interviews |chapter=Not One Less |year=2001 |url = https://archive.org/details/zhangyimouinterv00gate |url-access=registration |quote=not one less. |isbn = 978-1-57806-262-1 |publisher=University Press of Mississippi |editor = Frances K. Gateward }}
* {{cite journal |journal = China Information |volume=15 |issue=2 |year=2001 |last=Zhang |first=Xiaoling |title = A film director's criticism of reform China: a close reading of Zhang Yimou's ''Not One Less'' }}
* {{cite book |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2GW5EOyFmcAC&q=%22not+one+less%22 |title = Chinese cinema during the era of reform: the ingenuity of the system |last=Zhu |first=Ying |year=2003 |isbn = 978-0-275-97959-1 |publisher = Greenwood Publishing Group }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Portal|China|Film}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0209189|title=Not One Less}}
* {{Rotten-tomatoes|id=not_one_less|title=Not One Less}}
* [http://www.dianying.com/en/title/ygd1999 ''Not One Less''] at the Chinese Movie Database
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20090303110011/http://www.sonypictures.com/classics/notoneless/home.html Not One Less]'' at [[Sony Pictures Classics]]

{{Zhang Yimou}}
{{Golden Lion}}

{{featured article}}

[[Category:1999 drama films]]
[[Category:1999 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Zhang Yimou]]
[[Category:Films set in Hebei]]
[[Category:Golden Lion winners]]
[[Category:1990s Mandarin-language films]]
[[Category:Films about social realism]]
[[Category:Films about educators]]
[[Category:Chinese drama films]]
[[Category:Films shot in Zhangjiakou]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]
[[Category:Columbia Pictures films]]
[[Category:Sony Pictures Classics films]]