It is the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics but in one small town in southern China ZHANG Dachuan, a veteran of the 1950s Korean war, is either lost in memories or picking up after his son’s family since they are too busy with work to pay much attention to their home and even their own son Xiaosong, a westernised kid who is entering his difficult teen years. When Dachaun is invited to attend the funeral of an old comrade-in-arms, he secretly decides to journey to Beijing. And Xiaosong invites himself on the trip to avoid studying… And so starts a memorable experience for an old man and his grandson who hit the road and experience a clash of generations and values in various laughter-filled misadventures where one prefers old-fashioned values and the other modern conveniences. As our two travelling companions enjoy the beauty of the landscape they learn lessons in filial piety and loyalty that will bring them together.
Acting
Yang Xinming's gruff vulnerability carries every scene.
Cinematography
Rural China landscapes that make you want to road-trip immediately.
Director
Feng Keyu
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 2008 Beijing Olympics symbolized China's global coming-of-age, making Dachuan's Korean War nostalgia a poignant counter-narrative to state-sanctioned patriotism.
Director Feng Keyu uses the road movie format—rare in mainland Chinese cinema—to explore how the One-Child generation (Xiaosong) lost traditional family structures.
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