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Last Train Home (2009)

Gui tu lie che (original title)
Not Rated | | Documentary, Drama | 9 September 2010 (Denmark)
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A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.

Director:

Lixin Fan
13 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview:
Changhua Zhang ... Himself
Suqin Chen Suqin Chen ... Herself
Qin Zhang ... Herself
Yang Zhang Yang Zhang ... Himself
Tingsui Tang Tingsui Tang ... Himself
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Storyline

A couple embarks on a journey home for Chinese new year along with 130 million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future. Their unseen story plays out as China soars towards being a world superpower.

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Genres:

Documentary | Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada | China | UK

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

9 September 2010 (Denmark) See more »

Also Known As:

Last Train Home See more »

Filming Locations:

Chongqing, China See more »

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Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,207, 5 September 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$285,848, 19 December 2010
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (TV)

Color:

Color
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Soundtracks

Xiaotu Guaiguai
Lyrics by Zebing Hua
Recorded and Performed by Lijun Zheng
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User Reviews

 
"Made in China"
14 July 2010 | by Red-125See all my reviews

Last Train Home (2009), directed by Lixin Fan, is a Chinese documentary, or possibly a docudrama. According to the film, over 200 million factory workers, who have left their homes to work in the city, attempt to return home for the New Year holiday.

As would be expected, the Chinese rail system can't possibly handle this burden, and the system basically collapses. Millions of workers, all over the country, are stranded for days at rail stations. Sometimes they find space on a train, other times they go back to work having spent the entire holiday at stations, crammed together with other workers in the same situation.

Everywhere we turn in the U.S., items we purchase say, "Made in China." While the Chinese economy booms because of this immense export capability, family life and social cohesion suffer.

We meet a husband and wife, who work together in a distant city, and their teenage son and daughter, who still live at home with their grandmother. The children feel abandoned, and the parents feel unappreciated for the immense sacrifices they have made to support the family.

There are no heroes or villains in this documentary. The situation represents a microcosm of a huge societal change, and the end results are unpredictable.

We saw this film at the ill-named, but excellent, Rochester 360 - 365 film festival. It will work well on a small screen, although the crowd scenes will probably be more effective when viewed in a theater. This is an important film, but not a happy one. It's definitely worth seeking out.


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