In June 2012, the revolutionary epic drama "Our French Years" directed by director Kang Honglei debuted in the public eye, which is a high-quality work that "does not look good", it does not have too much publicity, nor does it have much popularity, but it quietly appears in the textbooks of junior high schools.
Stills from Our French Years
This drama tells the touching experience of a group of progressive Chinese youth in the early twentieth century who went to France to study in order to explore the truth of saving the country and the people. This group of progressive young people, including Zhou Enlai, Zhao Shiyan, Chen Yannian, Chen Qiaonian, Cai Hesen, Xiang Jingyu, Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, etc., under the multiple pressures of the French government's relentless suppression, the corruption of officials stationed in France, and the weakness and incompetence of the Chinese government, they did not bow to the difficulties, but insisted on work-study, while working and studying, the 2,000 Chinese students who went to France at the beginning could still have the opportunity to sit in French classrooms to study, but later many students were unable to pay high tuition fees because of their family difficulties. They were expelled from school one after another, but they did not give up the great ideal of self-improvement and national salvation, they continued to work hard to maintain their lives in France, and after work, they studied all kinds of books, constantly dabbled in various fields, and they were bent on saving the country, not only reading Marx's "Capital" and other works, but also reading books from different people, and striving to find a suitable way for China's survival and development. In today's view, we can clearly know that the path that is suitable for China is the socialist road, and in that era when the country is poor and weak and bullied by the great powers, no one can clearly know what kind of road is suitable for China and what kind of doctrine is suitable for China, and the great people must continue to study and explore.
In the process of watching this drama, my biggest feeling is that they will be infected by their passion and spirit at any time, they will maintain a positive and progressive mentality at any time under extremely difficult conditions, always care about how to save China at a time of peril, and they have organized and created a new youth organization, newspaper and social group with advanced ideas and vitality, such as the Xinmin Society and the Awakening Society, to disseminate ideas for young people studying in France through these organizations. They often hold life meetings, debates and other activities for everyone to exchange ideas and learn from each other. In addition to their work and study, they also always practiced their patriotic mission, Zhao Shiyan and Zhou Enlai fought a lawsuit with the French War Department for the legitimate interests of the Chinese workers who were stranded in France, so that the French people at the court scene felt the backbone and responsibility of Chinese; the students studying in France also held demonstrations to fight for the rights and interests of the French government and the Chinese Law Education Association that should belong to the students, and they also tried to prevent the signing of the unequal treaty between China and France. As a descendant, we need to learn too many things from our predecessors, and their patriotic spirit, hard-working spirit, curiosity spirit, and optimistic spirit are all things that we should admire and learn. As a new generation of young people after the 90s and 00s, they should take a good look at this drama, understand the history of China's construction and the great deeds of their predecessors, and conscientiously study and practice the spirit and excellent character of their predecessors.