Reborn
At the beginning of 2020, the the novel corona virus epidemic broke out on a global scale. Da Zhicheng, who owns a small local hotel, is trying his best to sell the hotel that has lost money for more than half a year; graduate student Jiang Xiaotian has spent years researching robots and ventures to Han to participate in the interview; Liu Huohuo works as a precarious messenger in Wuhan. When the epidemic broke out and Wuhan was closed, the three fell into the biggest dilemma in their lives. On the verge of bankruptcy, job failure, unfortunate admission to the hospital... Although the road is difficult, life is full of warmth and hope, surprises and strength.
Summary
“Reborn” (2021) is a timely drama set against the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, when Wuhan is placed under lockdown and ordinary lives are abruptly thrown into uncertainty. The film follows three people from very different backgrounds whose personal struggles become intertwined with the wider crisis. Da Zhicheng is the owner of a small local hotel that has been losing money for months. Desperate to sell the business before financial pressure overwhelms him, he is forced to confront how little control he has over his future once travel and commerce grind to a halt. Jiang Xiaotian, a graduate student who has devoted years to researching robots, travels to Han for an important job interview, only to see his carefully planned career path disrupted by circumstances beyond his control. Meanwhile, Liu Huohuo works as a precarious delivery courier in Wuhan, trying to make a living while navigating the increasing risks and restrictions brought on by the epidemic. As the city closes and the three face bankruptcy, professional disappointment, illness, and separation from the lives they knew, “Reborn” examines how a large-scale disaster magnifies both vulnerability and resilience. Its characters are not presented as heroic figures in the traditional sense; they are ordinary people struggling to endure, adapt, and protect their hopes amid rapidly changing conditions. The film’s emotional focus lies in their setbacks and in the unexpected kindness, solidarity, and strength that emerge during an exceptionally difficult period. Balancing social realism with an ultimately compassionate perspective, “Reborn” explores themes of perseverance, human connection, economic insecurity, and the possibility of renewal after profound disruption. Its pandemic setting gives the story immediacy, but its central concerns are universal: what people are willing to sacrifice, how they respond when their plans collapse, and where hope can be found when the future is uncertain.
