My Land

A number of recent documentary films have grappled with the issue of migrant workers in China. The interest in such a topic may be because these lower-class workers are still victims of discrimination and prejudice despite their significant contribution to China's extraordinary economic growth. But there is another reason: Their reality reflects some of the challenges facing Chinese society. Chen Chun, My Land's central figure, left the countryside fifteen years ago to settle in the outskirts of Beijing. Happily living with his family in the shadow of the capital, he makes a living by growing and selling vegetables. However, the city, ceaselessly expanding, eventually reaches Chen's farm. The landowner, saying that the area will be redeveloped, tries to force Chen to leave. Neighbors and colleagues, struggling under the pressure, begin to depart. But Chen and his family are determined to stay. They fight for five long years, until all of their neighbors' homes are replaced with large apartment buildings. As the seasons and the years go by, Chen and his family keep ploughing the land, their pain becoming ours. (Busan International Film Festival)