Last Train Home (film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Well, not quite, but that’s kind of what it felt like as I watched the experience of two Chinese migrant workers in Last Train Home.
The film gives us a glimpse of life that is so foreign to us, but yet touches us every day. It’s the people who make all of the cheap “Made in China” things that make our lives what they are today.
We see the impact on a family where the parents leave their tiny village, putting the care of their 2 young children in the hands of the grandparents, and then move 2100 kilometers away to live in a 1 room dorm.
Then, the central part of the story is how everyone in China goes home for the New Year, but it’s not straightforward and can require waiting at the train station for…5 days.
Yep, 5 days.
And then, when they do get home to see the children they haven’t seen in a year, the conversation is “you're 5th in your class? You need to do better.”
Of course, that type of relentless focus doesn’t come without a cost and we see that as well, as the daughter rebels and the parents try to cope with it.
A huge chunk of the world doesn’t live like we do (but they do have mobile phones!) and this movie makes you realize and appreciate what you have, but also helps you understand (a bit) the global, human condition.
Fascinating.
Thanks to Dave Sloan for suggesting that I watch it.
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