Complications arise when denzel crosses paths with the leader of the retribution clan, john, who hides a dark secret of hatred and. According to an introductory note that appears on screen at the beginning of lixin fans documentary last train home, every year, during the lunar new year, million workers return from. From claustrophobic train cars to the wide expanses of their rural village home, this gorgeous verite film compassionately portrays the personal consequences of a consuming devotion to work, revealing the everyday realities of chinas emergence as a global economic power. Its one of those extraordinary films, like hoop dreams, that tells a story the makers. The film depicts the fate of some of the last remaining jews in berlin, who in april 1943 were rounded up at the berlingrunewald station and sent to the nazi concentration. Last train home discussion guide influence film club. One of the best documentaries of the last ten years, last train home paints a vivid picture of modern migrant life in china through the lens of the zhang family. Homeward train is a 2009 documentary film directed by lixin fan and produced by daniel cross and mila aungthwin of eyesteelfilm.
This article appeared in the september 2010 online documentary in conjunction wsith the film s theatrical release thrugh zeitgeist films. Chinese film shows largest annual migration on earth video. Watch last train home directed by lixin fan online vimeo. This evening i had the honor of interviewing the young chinese filmmaker lixin fan after a screening of his documentary film last train home. Margolis and dakota films, with cooperation from the rhoads family, are working on the long awaited documentary film on the life of celebrated rock guitarist randy rhoads. Last train home itvs documentary film funding itvs. For related resources and a discussion guide visit influence film clubs last train home page. The unsustainable system in which the prc continues to function as the factory. It won the best documentary feature at 2009 idfa and has been distributed by zeitgeist films in the us. It follows a typical migrant worker family over a threeyear period.
Every spring, chinas cities are plunged into chaos as million migrant workers journey to their home villages for the new year in the worlds largest human migration. The mass exodus constitutes the worlds largest human migration. The trailer for last train home which will play at the sundance film festival. A couple embarks on a journey home for chinese new year along with million other migrant workers. Like which way home, the documentary that tracks impoverished latin american kids precariously trainhopping up to america, director lixin fans cinema veritestyle documentary last train home also uses trainsthis time in chinaas a metaphor delineating class to promote viewer understanding of social hardship.
Come browse our large digital warehouse of free sample essays. Every spring, chinas cities are plunged into chaos as million migrant workers journey to their. Working over several years in classic verite style chinesecanadian filmmaker lixin fan with the producers of the awardwinning hit documentary up the yangtze. Sep 03, 2010 according to an introductory note that appears on screen at the beginning of lixin fans documentary last train home, every year, during the lunar new year, million workers return from. Lixin fan opens his debut documentary feature, last train home, with an overhead shot of chinese migrant workers gathered by the thousands outside a railway station, hoping to get tickets so they can head home for the new years holiday. Last train home documentary trailer pov 2011 pbs youtube. Get the knowledge you need in order to pass your classes and more. Watch last train home directed by lixin fan online vimeo on. Lixin fan, is a chinese director who filmed the documentary film last train home. Last train home follows the zhang family who travel home on chinese new year. Film festival amsterdam idfabest feature length documentary award. Sep 23, 20 golden gate award in the investigative documentary feature category at the san francisco international film festival sfiff filmmaker lixin fan may very well be one of modernday chinas great nonfiction storytellers. In this pbs video interview, lixin fan discusses the inspiration behind his film last train home. Last train home kino lorber edu kino classics, kino.
As many of you know, in march of 2007, director peter. Their unseen story plays out as china soars towards being a world superpower. From among the countrys million migrant workers, director lixin fan zooms in on the zhangs, a poor family from rural sichuan, who epitomizes the harsh realities many migrants face. Best featurelength documentary award, 2009 international documentary film. Last train home ep, a 2009 ep by ryan star, or the title song last train home lostprophets song last train home, song by network 3 last train home, an instrumental by the pat metheny group from still life talking. Rent last train home 2009 starring changhua zhan and suqin chen on dvd and bluray. In september 2011, last train home director lixin fan provided the latest news on the zhang family and the films reception in china. Golden gate award in the investigative documentary feature category at the san francisco international film festival sfiff filmmaker lixin fan may very well be one of modernday chinas great nonfiction storytellers. Watch last train home 2010 full movie free online streaming. He got the idea of the film when he met the chinesecanadian filmmaker yung chang. Each year in china more than million migrant workers travel home for the new years holiday the one time theyll reunite with family all year. Last train home is a 2009 documentary film directed by lixin fan and produced by daniel cross and mila aungthwin of. Last train home is heartbreaking, incredibly moving, and documentary.
Last train home is a haunting, vivid documentary exploring the human toll of chinas economic boom in intimate. Last train home documentary official trailer online. They leave their familiies to go get better work and to send money home. Then lixin narrows his focus to one married couple. The movie has been out for a few years, and it has. Last train home, a 2010 album by foghat, also a song on the album. In september 2011, last train home director lixin fan provided the latest news on the zhang family and the film s reception in china. Lixins debut feature documentary last train home is the winner of.
Wang bings legendary ninehour documentary west of the tracks, for example, details the decline of a formerly vibrant industrial center, while zhao dayongs ghost townone of the highlights of last years new york film festivalcharts the desolation wrought by a shifting economic base that leaves certain areas of the country. Pov believes in the power of film to engage communities in dialogue around the most pressing social issues of our time. This article appeared in the september 2010 online documentary in conjunction wsith the films theatrical release thrugh zeitgeist films last train home masterfully chronicles the personal story of the zhangs, a family of migrant factory workers in china, to reveal the human story behind the billions of products stamped. Director peter margolis began filming a documentary about randy rhoads. Last train home has now been seen by audiences in america, both in theaters and now on pbs.
Their underpaid toil feeds the chinese exportoriented economy and. Like which way home, the documentary that tracks impoverished latin american kids precariously train hopping up to america, director lixin fans cinema veritestyle documentary last train home also uses trainsthis time in chinaas a metaphor delineating class to promote viewer understanding of social hardship. Last train home, a 2015 pat metheny group compilation album. Painful social conflict will arise between those chinese citizens who produce consumer goods for the world, and those chinese who want to consume them. There are, in china, some million mingong, workers from the hinterlands countryside who move to the big coastal cities in search of employment. Last train home airs september 27, 2011, on pbs pov. Last train home is a a documentary by lixin fan based on a husband and wife that are chinese migrant workers. The film deals with the worlda s largest human migration by millions of factory workers every year during the chinese new year. A couple embarks on a journey home for chinese new year along with million other migrant workers, to reunite with their children and struggle for a future.
Although the film is not finished, a trailer to that documentary was recently leaked. Last train home, an extraordinary documentary, watches that conflict play out over a period of three years in one family. Filmmaker lixin fan may very well be one of modernday chinas great nonfiction storytellers. Mar 12, 2010 wang bings legendary ninehour documentary west of the tracks, for example, details the decline of a formerly vibrant industrial center, while zhao dayongs ghost townone of the highlights of last years new york film festivalcharts the desolation wrought by a shifting economic base that leaves certain areas of the country. Watch last train home directed by lixin fan online. Amid this chaos, director lixin fan focuses on one couple who embark upon a. Emotionally engaging and starkly beautiful, last train homes intimate observation of one fractured family sheds light on the human cost of chinas ascendance as an economic superpower. He went to guangzhou to search for potential subjects for the film.
Every spring, chinas cities are plunged into chaos as million migrant workers journey to their home villages for the new years holiday. The story told revolves around how china is made up of a high percentage of migrant workers that travel home once a year to celebrate the chinese new year with their families. Jul 24, 2009 as previously reported, director peter m. Lixin fan records factory workers family in china the. The film was also an official selection at sundance film festival. Last train home will tug at your heartstrings as it opens your eyes, but it also will make you feel incredibly lucky and more than a little spoiled. Last train home was an interesting, but disturbing, documentary by lixin fan showing us the modern china,where most of the manufacturing for the world were made today. It is a documentary of one migrant family and the sad realities of life in sweat shop china. Apparently, margolis did not have clearance for all of the. Analysis of the documentary last train home term paper. Can you tell us what the reaction has been among u.
Last train home full frame documentary film festival. It was on the internet, for a day or two, then pulled. Last train home takes viewers on a heartstopping journey with the zhangs. Every spring, chinas cities are plunged into chaos, as all at once, a tidal wave of humanity attempts to return home by train. Rent last train home 2009 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix.
Jul 01, 2012 this evening i had the honor of interviewing the young chinese filmmaker lixin fan after a screening of his documentary film last train home. Zhang changhua and chen suqin, who have to wait days and pay triple the regular fare to take a steamy. Last train home s intimate observation of one fractured family sheds light on the human cost of chinas ascendance as an economic superpower. A documentary exploring the quiet, empty world of the last subway train of the night, and the stories of the people riding it. Last train home is selected in world documentary competition at sundance film festival 2010 and won the top prize at ridm montreal and the whistler international film festival. Its one of those extraordinary films, like hoop dreams, that tells a story the makers could not possibly have anticipated in advance. With changhua zhang, yang zhang, suqin chen, qin zhang. Last train home masterfully chronicles the personal story of the zhangs, a family of migrant factory workers in china, to reveal the human story behind the billions of products stamped made in china. Last train home takes viewers on a heartstopping journey with the zhangs, a couple who left infant children behind for factory jobs 16 years. Last train home won best documentary feature at the 2009 international documentary film festival amsterdam.
He was inspired when they were shooting up the yangtze. Last train home is a stark, bleak, and unflinching revelation of a film. This inspired him to become a documentary filmmaker with a focus on social issues. Filmed with almost voyeuristic style, its hard not to want to turn away when you see the eyes of those being filmed glaring back at you as if daring you to look hard at the. A couple embarks on a journey home for chinese new year along with million.