‘Big World’ is not perfect, but important

The touching movie explores dignity, love and the complexity of human bonds.

In ‘Big World’, director Yang Lina delivers a quietly devastating coming-of-age tale of Liu Chunhe, a teenager with cerebral palsy who dares to live on his terms. What might have easily been a sentimental story is instead presented with grounded realism, subtlety, and a commendable refusal to pity or glorify its subject. As a psychology and literature student and, more importantly, a young adult witnessing peers around me still relying on parental support, Chunhe’s story left a lasting impression on how we define independence, love, and acceptance in a world that often chooses convenience over compassion.