In the Heat of the Sun (1994)

In the Heat of the Sun 1994 / 阳光灿烂的日子 1994 / Yang Guang Can Lan De Ri Zi

The film is set in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution. It is told from the perspective of Ma Xiao Jun nicknamed Monkey, who is a teenage boy at the time. Monkey and his friends are free to roam the streets of Beijing day and night because the Cultural Revolution has caused their parents and most adults to be either busy or away. Most of the story happens during one summer, so the main characters are even more free because there is no school, and revolves around Monkey's dalliances with his roguish male friends and his subsequent angst-filled crush with Mi Lan. (Source: Letterboxd) ~~ Adapted from the novel ‟Wild Beast‟ (动物凶猛) by Wang Shuo (王朔).