Bu zhi bu xiu

Definitely and absolutely belonging to the roster of journalism-based films, this new addition reflects on the professional life and impact of a young, freelance Chinese reporter named Han Dong in Bejing, year 2003. The project looks promising and interesting on the paper and on first impressions, but the major problem for me was that the actual story of the film starts only after one hour passed, which is exactly a half of the film. (runtime is 114 minutes)

I think instead of focusing on Han Dong's character and personal background which makes this an autobiography of a sort, the writers should've put the main plot as the backbone of the film, with flashbacks, memories and monologues as tools for further development. The current structure of the film was'nt likeable or pleasant for me at least and I found the film boring, dry and unengaging.

The Chinese title "No Stop, No Rest" could be the motto of someone whose calling is that of a reporter. The film is based on the life of reporter Han FuDong, whose writing eventually changed discriminatory laws.

In 2003-4 Beijing, 3 young people from the same city in north-east China are in Beijing seeking their fortune. The focus is on Han Dong, a high school dropout who has written and published some articles online. A reporter who has seen his work brings him in as an intern. Following a lead about illegal paid blood donations, he stumbles upon a conspiracy to fake health reports that show the person being free of Hepatitis B - a required condition for education and employment opportunities.

This is a good story on many levels. The obvious one is about investigative reporting. But there are two secondary stories - about the laws that discriminate against some 1/10th of the population of China, and the difficulties young people face in trying their luck in "the big city".

I was happy that I saw this as an online screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, since I could pause and rewind the action, and eventually watched the whole film again, with a better understanding of which were the main characters, and who were disposable, seen-only-once characters.