Zhang (Yi Zhang) breaks free from a labor camp during the height of China’s cultural revolution. He's trying to get back home to witness a screening of a propaganda newsreel about socialism—a film that supposedly includes his young daughter. The problem with these long films is that they are frequently lost, damaged, or stolen, so locating one in playable condition and somewhere it can be shown proves difficult for this increasingly tired and discouraged man. He then runs into Liu (Haocun Liu), who also needs the film—but for a completely different reason, which seems more sensible. While attempting to get it from her and evading those trying to catch him, he has his work cut out for him. As the story unfolds, we learn through flashbacks about their backgrounds and why everyone is so focused on this particular moment captured on film. The movie brought to mind “Cinema Paradiso” (1988) because of how it highlights just how significant cinema was in a small community—how much respect was given to the projectionist, here called "Mr. Movie" (Wei Fan). Even though the screen was practically a large bed sheet, people would eagerly and enthusiastically watch whatever the authorities wanted them to see. The criticism of political ideologies is subtle, hidden within dark humor and dialogue that mocks the foundations of any kind of controlling government, whether it claims to be good or simply oppressive. The scenes with Wei Fan, particularly near the conclusion, are genuinely amusing, and there's a sense of pointlessness that works well. Sometimes the camera work creates a strong feeling of closeness, while at other times it pulls back, letting us observe this man’s struggles as we start to question what he did to deserve such relentless pursuit and whether he will ever see the film. It can feel slow occasionally, but the final thirty minutes make it worthwhile.

Source on TMDB