“Du Haibin has delivered a frank and intimate picture of Chinese youth” – Screen International
In a People’s Republic of China that has thrown back its veil of secrecy and flexed its muscles as an economic powerhouse, teenager Zhao embodies the nation it left behind. Born into a working-class family seemingly untouched by the boom, he is the very portrait of a zealot – burning with the fire of patriotism, he walks the streets clad in old army fatigues, waving his flag and chanting Maoist slogans.
Filmmaker Du Haibin (1428) chronicles Zhao’s life over three years. As the young firebrand gets a job and goes to university his fanaticism wanes and he begins to question his government, his nationalism, and all the values he held so dear.
