Tiexi 1999: An Era Tempered in Fire

Set against the reform of state-owned enterprises and the “wave of layoffs” in Northeast China during the 1990s, this story focuses on the growing pains of Shenyang, a major industrial city, as it undergoes a transformation. Through the perspective of its female protagonist, Sun Xiaoya, known as Teacher Sun, it depicts the hardships ordinary working-class families face, and their difficult journey toward being reborn, as the planned economy gives way to the market economy.

The story portrays not only the distinctive regional culture of Northeast China, including the Bajiazi Fruit Market and the Wu'ai Street Clothing Market, but also the way women seek to survive in the market economy as society shifts from a traditional industrial economy to a commercial one. Through Sun Xiaoya’s struggle as she moves from the clothing industry into the electromechanical sector, the film suggests the astonishing adaptability and vitality women display amid the changes of the times.