Browse films

Dawning

Wei Xiong
China, 2018, 100 min.

In Chinese with English subtitles.
This film is family friendly.

A heart-wrenching story of a child searching for asylum in China in 1941 after an attack by Japan leaves his city in ruins. Jun’s dying mother tells him to go to a familiar sanctuary to wait for his father to come for him, but soon, the teachers and children there begin dying from an epidemic. Somehow, Jun must find the courage and determination to persevere.

Director's Statement

The film intends to show not only an isolated individual or an isolated era, but rather a bigger and majestic picture. The pains and partings of life and death suffered by the teenager Jun are so immeasurable that they could not be explained solely on an individual basis, so does resilience and optimism that he upholds. Jun is depicted as an orphan bereft by war and the miniature of the whole nation. He is both specific and sublime.

Category: Drama.
Themes: War, World Cinema, Youth.

More in Drama

  • I Did

    I Did

    Pedro Patricio
    United States, 2023, 14 min.

    A brave woman fights to save her family by turning in her husband’s gun... more ›

  • A Good Day Will Come

    A Good Day Will Come

    Amir Zargara
    Canada, 2024, 30 min.

    Arash is a professional wrestler with dreams of representing his country and winning gold medals. The country is in turmoil and its people are suffering. Arash... more ›

  • The Ballad of a Hustler

    The Ballad of a Hustler

    Heitor Dhalia
    United States, 2023, 103 min.

    Upon his release from prison, Jonathan discovers his ex-fiancée has gone missing, leaving behind her 6-year-old son. The unlikely pair venture into the... more ›