The film “Dying to survive” (我不是藥神) was published in July 2018, based on the true story which happened in 2015, widely known as Lu Yong case. It soon topped the Chinese box office and also raised the public awareness of health policy issue in the domestic society. In the meantime, Prime Minister Lee announced that related departments should take the immediate measurements on the Healthcare reform.
Lu Yong is a patient of Leukemia, which is a group of cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal white blood cells. It requires both radiation therapy and multi-drugs treatment. In some case, the bone marrow transplant is effective. While in most medical situations, patients desperately need to take Glivec, the drug that exclusive.
Whereas, the Glivec is too exorbitant for these patients. With the expensive medical drug price, Lu Yong found a similar drug producing in India to be a substitute. Most importantly, it serves almost the same treatment and only half of a price. As a result, Lu Yong took a risk to smuggle to China to offer to those who cannot afford. Though it was called smuggle, it never posed any jeopardy to those who take. The only issue of it to be illegal is that it did not pass through the Chinese government censorship, due to the excessive profit for the drug dealer. Unfortunately, Lu Yong was arrested because of selling “fake drug.”
Three months later, hundreds of patients begging for withdrawing prosecution. In the next year, the juridic departed the trial out of not for profiting deed.
Lu Yong’s case is fortunate to uncover to the public and adapted to film. Dying to survive vividly depict the current China society, the bureaucratic system, the unreasonable health policy, etc. Those are all hidden agendas in the China society because of strict censorship and regulated speech. Notwithstanding the obstacles, Dying to survive has set up a milestone in the Chinese film industry. It harshly assailed and represented it, most importantly, it passed the censorship.
For long, films had become a great weapon to change the injustice society, from “The stolen bicycle” (raise the awareness of the postwar inflation in Italy) to “The bright summerer day 牯嶺街少年殺人事件” (portray the modernize society in Taiwan). They, the directors delineated the profound interrogatives and cast creative solutions as well. Film, movie that we can finally declare is a new form for those whom to ask and give answers.
Citizens in China still combat with the Levitan and implore the government of unfair policy. Simultaneously, we still have hope here because of the movie.
