Introduction to 《请投我一票》 (Please Vote for Me)

Welcome to your study notes for Paper 2: Written Response to Works and Translation (9CN0/02). In this section of your Edexcel A Level Chinese course, you will analyse set literary texts and films. Writing an analytical essay of around 250–300 Chinese characters might feel daunting at first, but with clear character breakdowns, theme maps, and film technique toolkits, you will be well-prepared to score top marks.

Did you know? Directed by Chen Weijun (陈为军 / 陳為軍) and released in 2007, this documentary was created as part of the international "Why Democracy?" project. It captures an unprecedented democratic experiment in a Chinese primary school classroom.

Key Takeaway: Your goal in Paper 2 is not just to retell the story, but to critically evaluate how the director uses documentary techniques to explore themes of democracy, parenting, and human nature.


1. Film Overview and Setting

• Title: 《请投我一票》 / 《請投我一票》 (Please Vote for Me)
• Director: Chen Weijun (陈为军 / 陳為軍)
• Release Year: 2007
• Location: Evergreen Primary School (常青第一学校 / 常青小学) in Wuhan (武汉), Hubei Province, China
• Premise: An experimental democratic election held among Grade 3 pupils (approx. 8 years old) to choose their Class Monitor (班长 / 班長), a role traditionally appointed directly by the teacher.

Understanding the Context: The position of class monitor in Chinese schools carries significant authority. The monitor manages classroom discipline, assists the teacher, and commands respect from peers. By turning this authoritarian post into a democratic vote, the film reveals how children and their parents navigate power, ambition, and persuasion.


2. The Three Candidates: Character Profiles

To write a high-scoring essay, you must understand the personality, family background, talent show piece, campaign strategies, and ultimate fate of each candidate.

1. Luo Lei (罗雷 / 羅雷) – The Incumbent Authority

• Background & Personality: The existing class monitor. He is authoritative, strict, and accustomed to obedience, occasionally using physical enforcement and heavy-handed discipline.
• Family Influence: His father is a police officer. His parents play an active, strategic role in his campaign, directly advising him and funding lavish incentives.
• Talent Show: Performs a musical solo on the flute.
• Campaign Tactics: Under parental guidance, he shifts from pure authority to material persuasion—taking the whole class on a monorail/light rail trip and handing out custom gifts/cards.
• Result: Wins the election and retains his position as class monitor.

2. Cheng Cheng (成成) – The Little Politician

• Background & Personality: Highly articulate, charismatic, cunning, and quick-witted. He possesses an innate grasp of crowd psychology and verbal manipulation.
• Family Influence: His mother works in television/media and coaches him intensively on rhetoric, tone, and stage presence.
• Talent Show: Sings a vocal piece.
• Campaign Tactics: Masters populist promises and negative campaigning. He orchestrates smear tactics, instructing other classmates to heckle rivals and expose their weaknesses.
• Result: Secures second place despite aggressive campaigning.

3. Xu Xiaofei (许晓菲 / 許曉菲) – The Sensitive Idealist

• Background & Personality: Quiet, studious, artistic, and emotionally vulnerable. She struggles with the cutthroat pressure of public politics.
• Family Influence: Raised by a single mother who works as a school administrator/teacher. Her mother encourages her to be competitive, but Xiaofei lacks the ruthlessness required for political battle.
• Talent Show: Plays the flute / recorder.
• Campaign Tactics: Relies on personal talent and sincerity rather than political maneuvering. However, she breaks down in tears during the debate after being targeted by negative attacks.
• Result: Receives the fewest votes.

Memory Trick (Candidate Profiles):
• Luo Lei = Power & Presents (Authority + Monorail Trip)
• Cheng Cheng = Charm & Criticism (Rhetoric + Smear Tactics)
• Xu Xiaofei = Feelings & Flute (Emotion + Vulnerability)


3. The Three Stages of the Election (竞选阶段)

The teacher structures the democratic experiment into three distinct phases:

Stage 1: Talent Show (才艺展示 / 才藝展示)
Candidates perform to showcase their cultural competence and personal ability. Luo Lei and Xu Xiaofei play musical instruments (flute/recorder), while Cheng Cheng delivers a vocal performance. This stage exposes early rivalries as candidates attempt to outshine or undermine one another.

Stage 2: Debate / Questioning (辩论 / 辯論)
A structured confrontation where candidates challenge each other's fitness for leadership. Adult coaching becomes starkly visible here: Cheng Cheng attacks Luo Lei's dictatorial tendencies and Xu Xiaofei's emotional fragility, driving Xiaofei to tears.

Stage 3: Campaign Speech (竞选演讲 / 競選演講)
The final formal pitch delivered to the entire classroom immediately before secret balloting. Candidates make their closing arguments, promise reforms, and distribute final incentives to secure undecided voters.

Key Takeaway: Notice the progression from individual talent (Stage 1) to direct personal confrontation (Stage 2), culminating in calculated political persuasion and material reward (Stage 3).


4. Core Themes for Essay Analysis

Theme 1: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism (民主与威权 / 民主與威權)

• The Core Issue: Can democratic mechanisms function fairly when introduced suddenly without prior democratic education or institutional checks?
• Film Evidence: The children initially view voting as a game, but quickly adopt authoritarian habits, coercion, and manipulation. Luo Lei begins as a feared disciplinarian and ends up using resources to guarantee his victory, showing how democratic forms can be used to legitimize existing power.

Theme 2: Family Influence & "Tiger Parenting" (家庭教育与小皇帝现象)

• The Core Issue: The reflection of China's "One-Child Policy" and the "Little Emperor" (小皇帝) phenomenon.
• Film Evidence: The parents live vicariously through their single children. Luo Lei's father organizes transportation and gifts; Cheng Cheng's mother scripts speeches and teaches deceptive strategies; Xu Xiaofei's mother pushes her daughter beyond her emotional comfort zone. The election becomes a proxy war between adult egos.

Theme 3: Bribery and Negative Campaigning (贿选与负面竞选)

• The Core Issue: How easily democratic ideals are compromised by smear campaigns and material inducements.
• Film Evidence: Cheng Cheng orchestrates targeted heckling during rehearsals to undermine Xu Xiaofei's confidence. Luo Lei's parents provide a monorail excursion and personalized gifts right before the vote, effectively swaying 8-year-old voters with tangible rewards.


5. Cinematic and Documentary Techniques

Examiners reward essays that analyse how the film is constructed rather than treating it merely as real-life footage.

• Observational Style / Cinéma Vérité (直接电影 / 真实电影风格): Director Chen Weijun uses a "fly-on-the-wall" approach without voiceover narration. This allows viewers to observe raw interactions, awkward silences, and unfiltered parental pressure without overt directorial commentary.
• Intimate Close-ups (特写镜头): The camera focuses tightly on children's facial expressions—capturing Xiaofei's tears during the debate, Cheng Cheng's calculating smirks, and Luo Lei's anxious glances at his parents.
• Contrasting Editing (剪辑对比): The film cuts back and forth between private family coaching sessions at home and public performances in the classroom, laying bare the gap between adult manipulation and childlike innocence.
• Natural Sound and Candid Dialogue: Capturing unscripted whispers and playground alliances highlights how quickly peer groups form factions under competitive pressure.


6. Essential Vocabulary for A Level Essays

Incorporate these terms to demonstrate sophisticated language control in your 250–300 character response:

• 纪录片 / 紀錄片 (jìlùpiàn): Documentary
• 导演 / 導演 (dǎoyǎn): Director
• 班长 / 班長 (bānzhǎng): Class Monitor
• 竞选策略 / 競選策略 (jìngxǔan cèlüè): Campaign strategy
• 民主 (mǐnzhǔ) vs. 威权 / 威權 (wēiquán): Democracy vs. Authoritarianism
• 辩论 / 辯論 (biànlùn): Debate
• 贿选 / 賄選 (huìxuǎn): Vote buying / Electoral bribery
• 负面竞选 / 負面競選 (fùmiàn jìngxǔan): Negative campaigning / Smear tactics
• 小皇帝 (xiǎo huángdì): "Little Emperor" (pampered only-child)
• 特写镜头 / 特寫鏡頭 (tèxiě jìngtóu): Close-up shot
• 揭示 (jiēshì): To reveal / uncover
• 象征 / 象徵 (xiàngzhēng): To symbolize / symbol


7. Exam Strategy & Common Pitfalls

How to Structure a Paper 2 Response

1. Introduction (引言 - approx. 40 characters): Directly answer the question prompt, introduce the film title, director, and state your clear thesis statement.
2. Body Paragraph 1 (正文第一段 - approx. 100 characters): Focus on candidate behaviour and campaign strategies with specific film evidence.
3. Body Paragraph 2 (正文第二段 - approx. 100 characters): Focus on parental interference or cinematic techniques (e.g., close-ups, editing contrast) and connect to wider social themes.
4. Conclusion (结论 - approx. 40 characters): Summarise your insights and give a definitive final evaluation.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Plot Retelling (只叙述情节): Do not just write a timeline of who said what. Always explain why it matters (e.g., "This scene reveals parental pressure..." / "This close-up shot highlights...").
• Ignoring Film Techniques: Remember that this is a documentary film. Mentioning camera work (特写镜头), editing (剪辑), or observational style (真实电影风格) proves critical engagement.
• Overgeneralising: Avoid making sweeping political statements about China that are not anchored in the specific events of Evergreen Primary School.
• Character Count: Aim for the recommended length of 250–300 Chinese characters. Keep your sentences concise, precise, and analytically dense.


Summary Checklist

• Can you describe all three candidates, their talents, and their strategies in Chinese?
• Can you explain the three stages of the election: Talent Show, Debate, and Speech?
• Can you analyse the three core themes: Democracy vs. Authoritarianism, Family Influence, and Bribery/Negative Campaigning?
• Can you identify at least two cinematic techniques (e.g., close-ups, contrast editing) used by Chen Weijun?