LAST TRAIN HOME (Canada 2009) ***1/2
Directed by LiXin Fan

Last Train Home races the plight of Chinese migrant workers in rural China.  Director Fan selected and spent 3 years with one such family.

The Zhangs (Yang Zhang playing himself and Suquin as herself) have left their village in China and their newborn daughter to find work in the Guangzhou province garment factory for 16 long years.  They see her only once a year during the Lunar New Year taking THE LAST TRAIN HOME in a disturbing filmed sequence.  Now their daughter (Played by Qin Zhang) is 17, bitter and rebellious and quits school.  She travels to Guangzhou to become a young migrant worker. The mother pledges to reunite the family and to get the daughter back to school. 

The documentary style of story telling in this case of the real story of the Zhangs creates more authenticity and emotion for the audience.  The film begins with the bold statement that 130 million Chinese migrate every year to visit their villages and hometowns to visit their families. They take the train or whatever other means of transportation possible.

Emotionally riveting!