A Road to Spring

Qiqihar, Dongbei Province, used to be the economic center of China. However, with factories shutting down one after another and people leaving for bigger cities to look for jobs, the once-prosperous city has fallen silent. When Daquan, a laborer at a train parts factory, becomes subject to a layoff, his life is uprooted. To make matters worse, he is accused of stealing. Daquan protests his innocence, but the police and his colleagues don’t believe him. His heavily pregnant wife helps his efforts to prove his innocence, but their frustration only deepens. After much thought, Daquan decides to catch the thief himself, prove his innocence, and receive the wages that he is owed. The exasperating and unfair situation that Daquan finds himself in highlights the issues of unemployment that not only China but Korea is also experiencing, and reflects the way people and society treat the socially disadvantaged. With a calm yet critical gaze, the director of A Road to Spring paints the issues confronting our society. (Busan International Film Festival)