A Young Patriot

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Nineteen-year-old Xiao Zhao is a patriot through and through, and a great fan of Mao Zedong. He often marches in an old Red Army uniform through the streets of his hometown of Pingyao, inciting his comrades to rise up against the Japanese “occupation” of the Diaoyu Islands. He dreams of first studying photography at university, then serving his country in the army. Not as an officer, but as a regular soldier in a restive border region. Only then can he realize his full potential in the service of the Chinese people. During the four years that we follow Xiao, many of his ideals are dashed. He watches, dispirited, as corruption continues to dominate local politics and the Chinese urge to build impacts his family’s prosperity. Slowly but surely, he’s transformed from a die-hard supporter of the Communist Party into a cynic. An intriguing and at times astonishing portrait of a young man who initially comes across as a fanatic, but thanks to his openness, honesty and emotional candor quickly wins our sympathy.