Director: Feng Zhibin

Synopsis

Zhang Shanqing is the last of the first-generation "Iron Old Men" still holding on in Nanquan, Karamay, Xinjiang. He served in the army, drilled for oil and sharpened knives. With a modest wish, he wants to bring together the few remaining members of the team on the 18th and set out again. But times have moved fast, the old trades have left the stage, and the knife-sharpening team has drifted further and further from today's life, leaving Lao Zhang, who was celebrated all his life, deeply disappointed. When he visits Qin Ziyong, the team leader, now seriously ill, and Zhao Lianyin and Guo Jinyou, who have moved away, and thinks of comrades who have died, even their resilience has to admit to old age in the face of the tide of history. Heroes grow old, and it is a sad thing; the times always stir feelings, as some things change and some never will. To this day, the character of these Communists and the soldier's spirit of half a lifetime remain vivid. Their dedication, both politically committed and professionally skilled, is still there; it has helped bring China to where it is today and has never left us. As filmmakers, we must face this squarely and record it with care, rather than offering empty praise or veiled mockery, and we should not keep fixing our eyes on dark corners. The year 2020 is the best proof: China's equality shows deep humanistic care for the vulnerable. That red has always been there.