Dying to Survive

Synopsis

A struggling shop owner begins smuggling affordable generic cancer medicine from India to help leukemia patients, becoming an unlikely hero while facing legal consequences. Based on a true story that sparked national healthcare reform in China.

Film Overview

Dying to Survive (Chinese: 我不是药神) is a 2018 Chinese comedy-drama film directed by Wen Muye in his feature film debut. Produced by Ning Hao and Xu Zheng, the film stars Xu Zheng in the lead role and is based on the true story of Lu Yong, a Chinese leukemia patient who smuggled affordable generic cancer medicine from India for over 1,000 fellow patients in 2004. The film premiered at the Shanghai International Film Festival on June 19, 2018, and was released theatrically in China on July 5, 2018.

Plot Summary

Cheng Yong (Xu Zheng) is a struggling shop owner selling Indian health products. His business is failing, his father urgently needs expensive brain surgery, and his ex-wife is preparing to take their son away. One day, a leukemia patient named Lü Shouyi (Wang Chuanjun), wearing thick surgical masks, approaches him with a proposition: smuggle an affordable generic version of imatinib (a chronic myelogenous leukemia treatment) from India. Due to patent protection, the Swiss-manufactured brand-name drug costs far more than most Chinese patients can afford, while an equally effective generic version is available in India at a fraction of the price.

Cheng initially agrees purely for profit, assembling a team that includes a single mother named Liu Sihui (Tan Zhuo), a Christian pastor named Liu (Yang Xinming), and a young rural patient nicknamed "Yellow Hair" (Zhang Yu). As the operation grows, Cheng becomes wealthy but undergoes a profound moral awakening after witnessing the desperation of patients who cannot afford treatment. When Chinese authorities crack down on the unlicensed generic drug trade under pressure from the pharmaceutical company, Cheng must choose between self-preservation and the lives of thousands of patients who depend on him.

Main Cast

Box Office and Cultural Impact

Dying to Survive topped the Chinese box office on its opening day, grossing $49.71 million including previews. By the end of its opening weekend, it had earned $199.58 million, marking the fourth-biggest opening weekend in Chinese cinema history at the time. The film ultimately grossed over $453 million (3.1 billion RMB), becoming the third highest-grossing film of 2018 in China. It holds a remarkable 9.0 rating on Douban, making it one of the highest-rated Chinese films of the decade.

The film's impact extended far beyond the box office. It ignited a nationwide debate about healthcare costs and pharmaceutical pricing in China. Premier Li Keqiang explicitly referenced the film in a public appeal to regulators to "speed up price cuts for cancer drugs" and "reduce the burden on families." The ensuing policy reforms led to significant reductions in cancer drug prices and the inclusion of more medications in China's national insurance program.

Major Awards

References

• Wikipedia — Dying to Survive
• Douban — Dying to Survive
• SupChina — Dying to Survive Review
• RogerEbert.com — Dying to Survive Review