A Road to Spring (2019)

A Road to Spring (2019) is set in Qiqihar, a city in China's Dongbei Province that has seen better days. Once a thriving economic hub, the city has fallen into silence as factories close and residents move to larger cities for work. Daquan, a worker at a train parts factory, faces a sudden layoff, turning his life upside down. When he is falsely accused of theft, his world spirals further out of control. Despite his protests of innocence, neither the police nor his colleagues believe him. His pregnant wife stands by him, but their efforts to clear his name only lead to more frustration. Determined to prove his innocence and reclaim his owed wages, Daquan takes matters into his own hands. The film delves into the challenges of unemployment, a problem not unique to China but also prevalent in countries like Korea. Through a composed yet critical lens, the director of A Road to Spring (2019) sheds light on the struggles of the socially disadvantaged and the societal responses to their plight.