Three broke teens in 1910s China accidentally start a revolution. Oops!
At the beginning of the last century, in the ancient city of Jiangnan, three teenagers from declining families became good friends.They were Qu Qiubai, Zhang Tailei and Yun Daiying who would later become the early leaders of the Chinese Communist Party. Qu Qiubai is the highest-ranking CCP leader who died at the hands of the enemy; Zhang Tailei is the highest-ranking leader who died on the front line of the battle; the "China Youth" magazine founded and edited by Yun Daiying turns 100 this year. The film tells the story of the "finding" life of three teenagers...
Acting
Song Yang's doomed poet energy is devastating
Production
Jiangnan city recreation slaps harder than your history textbook
Direction
Ning Jingwu makes propaganda feel surprisingly intimate
Director
Ning Jingwu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The real 'China Youth' magazine founded by Yun Daiying in 1923 still publishes today, making it one of the longest-running youth publications globally.
Released during the magazine's centennial year, the film functions as state-approved memorialization—though its focus on emotional friendship rather than ideological triumph feels quietly subversive.
CN
