Raising a Family in the Mountains in the 1960s

In the 1960s, natural disasters and human calamities piled up, and food became the most vital concern for every household. Following an ordinary family in northwest China, this story depicts their struggle to survive through famine and upheaval. The men go into the mountains to reclaim land, dig for wild greens, and search for a way to get by. The women stay home, mending and washing clothes, caring for the young and old, and making every last bit count. The children grow up early amid hunger and fear. Going into the mountains is no romantic adventure; it's risking your life for food. Staying alive isn't a slogan; it's a life eked out one mouthful at a time.

The story begins with the most simple act of survival, going into the mountains to support the family. It portrays the resilience of people on barren land, as well as the helplessness of ordinary people in an era when fate drove them onward. It doesn't only want to tell a story of suffering. It also wants to show how people hold on to their family and their will to live in dire circumstances, using the simplest methods to keep going, one day at a time.