

Not One Less
In her village, she was the teacher. In the city, she discovered how much she had to learn.
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 Chinese countryside. Called in to substitute for a village teacher for one month, Wei is told not to lose any students.
TMDB
7.5/10
203 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- Mandarin
- class
- village
- mayor
- mountain
- promise
- teacher
- money
- food
- chalk
Top billed cast





Behind the camera
Director
Writers
Music
Produced in
China, Hong Kong, United States of America
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
Gallery





Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- PremiereSundance Film Festival21 Jan 2000
- TheatricalGNew York City, New York18 Feb 2000
GreeceGR
- Theatrical7 Jan 2000
- PhysicalDVD14 Nov 2000
Hong KongHK
- Theatrical2 Dec 1999
HungaryHU
- Digital / OTT1831 Aug 2000
ItalyIT
- PremiereVenice Film Festival7 Sept 1999
JapanJP
- TheatricalTokyo1 Jul 2000
NetherlandsNL
- TheatricalAL10 Feb 2000
- TVALSBS 622 Apr 2003
South KoreaKR
- TheatricalALL30 Oct 1999
Frequently asked questions
Not One Less was released on 30 October 1999.
Audience reviews
1- A9/10
Alunauwie
9/12/2025
The film Not One Less, adapted from Shi Xiansheng’s 1997 story A Sun in the Sky, highlights the real-life struggles of providing education in rural China during the 1990s. With a focus on the nation’s compulsory nine-year education policy, it brings attention to children who are forced to drop out due to poverty and work obligations. This issue remains relevant today, with dropout rates still present in many parts of…
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