Everyday Hero (2017)

"When you're stuck, try another thing"

Everyday Hero was based on the efforts of Guo Jian Nan aka Brother Nan, an engineer who worked for the Poverty Alleviation committee. All but deified in the film, Brother Nan travels to the village of Li Tan that has been damaged by a typhoon. He dedicates his life to lifting the villagers out of poverty.

When Guo Jian Nan is called into his boss’ office and offered the job of surveying Li Tan for a factory, he jumps at the chance. A factory would offer 500 jobs to the local villages and help raise the people out of poverty. He and his sidekick Da Zhi discover there is no place for the factory but instead of giving up they remain and work to find other projects that will benefit the people.

The film was an idealized vision of people and offered little conflict. The villagers largely accepted Guo with open arms and were willing to do whatever he asked of them. Liu Bao, the local who benefited from the Pioneer of Prosperity hadn’t shared his wealth from oyster farming. Yet with the arrival of Guo his behavior became overtly generous. The primary beneficiary of Guo’s plans was Aunt Ya/Aunt Mute and her geese. There were few obstacles that Guo could not find a solution for. Though the heartbreaking dilemma of parents having to leave children behind so that they could work in the city was highlighted through the child Papaya and students at the small school. At one point Guo was reprimanded for telling the truth regarding the issues of building a factory to his bosses but that seemed ludicrous. One way or another they would discover why it would be impossible. Another criticism from on high blew over quickly as well. Family troubles were forgiven and support was shored up for him. Everyone understood he had a higher calling of establishing new sources of income for the village and eliminating privation.

The editing could be choppy and situations weren’t always explained well. Maybe they were but were lost in translation. While the characters and events could have been developed better, overall, I enjoyed this film. Watching people work together harmoniously for the most part is a nice break from the real world. The PRC has dedicated significant resources to reducing poverty with Brother Nan and Li Tan being one of the success stories. Everyday Hero (Everybody’s Dream) was an homage to Guo Jian Nan who gave everything he had to improve the lives of one village. The film stated that poverty is a worldwide problem, which is absolutely correct, a problem that would benefit from more enlightened solutions, cooperation, and resolve from the global village.

27 August 2025

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