Cheng Yong's life is uneventful, his shop has long been running at a loss, and he cannot even cover the cost of his father's emergency surgery. When a mysterious stranger wearing a surgical mask offers him a large sum of money to buy a medicine from India, the desperate Cheng takes the risk and starts smuggling the medicine into China on a regular basis. However, the lucrative new business attracts the attention of the police, and under increasing pressure, Cheng reassesses his motives.

Based on real-life events, I Live, I Die, I Grow Rich is a poignant portrayal of difficult subjects such as the vulnerability of patients to the pharmaceutical industry, but it does so in an entertaining way that is partly seen as a comedy.

Wen Muye's first feature became one of the highest-grossing Chinese films of 2018, and with over $450 million in grosses, it is still one of the top-grossing Chinese films of 2018.

Following the screening, MKFB and Eurasia Roundtable: Wu Guanping and Viktória Váradi in discussion
(Courtesy of the Hungarian-Chinese Youth Friendship Association and Eurasia Centre)