ZHAO YIMAN (趙一曼)
Dir. Sha Meng, 1950
China. 92 min.
In Mandarin with English subtitles

In 1933, Chinese Communist Party member Zhao Yiman and her husband, Lao Cao, are tasked with leading a workers’ strike in Japanese-occupied Harbin. Fearing rebellion, Japanese forces arrest Lao Cao, however Zhao is able to elude their attempts at capture and escape to the countryside where she helps organize and mobilize the rural masses against occupation. Zhao played a pivotal role in the unification of regional militias under the Northeast Counter-Japanese United Army, before her capture and eventual execution in 1936.

Following their rise to power in 1949, the CCP brought renewed focus to Zhao’s story in large part via this film. Despite a noticeable lack of personal details or backstory, Zhao is lionized as a paragon of CCP ideals; a revolutionary hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of her Party and country.