Poetry Written on the Banana Leaf

China's first song and dance film was "Poetry Written on the Banana Leaf" directed by Sun Yu and starring Wang Renmei in 1932. A battalion commander's lover, named Zhao Zhao, wrote a poem on a banana leaf in memory of the battalion commander. Just as she was about to mail it, she met people in the village holding the Autumn Tage Festival. Zhao Zhao decides to participate the festivities with her friends. Unexpectedly, the banana leaf was lost on the ground. Zhao Zhao rejects a man who tries to pursue her. Mad being rejected, the man picks up the lost banana leaf. He decides to write his own name to it, trying to deceive the battalion comrade that Zhao Zhao has cheated on him. The film is thought to be lost.

Directed by Li Ping-Qian, Poetry Written on the Banana Leaf leans on a strong ensemble — Renmei Wang, Li Lili, Guangyou Tan — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1932.