Documentary backdrop image for Classmates (2009)

Documentary backdrop image for Classmates (2009)

2009203 minGdocumentary

Classmates

2009203 minGdocumentary

Thirty years of history unfold as more than 20 classmates reflect on their lives amid China's reforms and the changing seasons of life.

Genres

Director

Synopsis

Thirty years of history unfold as more than 20 classmates reflect on their lives amid China's reforms and the changing seasons of life.

People

Lin Xin

Lin Xindirector

Synopsis

Lin Xin meets with over twenty former classmates thirty years after their school days. They reflect on their lives against the backdrop of China's reforms and opening up. Each classmate shares their experiences, revealing the monotony of daily life, the isolation that can accompany success, and the challenges of poverty. Their stories illustrate the varied paths taken by ordinary people in small to middle-sized cities during a time of significant change. The film runs for 203 minutes and was released in 2009.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square (2010)

Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square

2010•29m•★6.9TMDB

On June 4, 1989, a former comrade witnessed the massacre of protesters in Tiananmen Square, marking a turning point in his life and beliefs.

Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square

Stunning Footage Reveals What 20th Century China Was Really Like (2024)

Stunning Footage Reveals What 20th Century China Was Really Like

20th century China is portrayed through a rich compilation of footage that reveals the everyday lives of its citizens beyond major historical events.

Stunning Footage Reveals What 20th Century China Was Really Like

China Frame by Frame: a Unique Look at the History and Culture of China (2023)

China Frame by Frame: a Unique Look at the History and Culture of China

Over 50 years, China experienced the collapse of the Qing dynasty, civil war, and a 14-year invasion, all documented through rare historical footage.

China Frame by Frame: a Unique Look at the History and Culture of China

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2 (2025)

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2

By 2022, over half a billion people in China will belong to the middle-income group, significantly increasing their spending power and leisure activities.

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2

Unloved and Forgotten - China's Children of Shame (2024)

Unloved and Forgotten - China's Children of Shame

Miao Miao and others face challenges as Hidden Homeless Kids in China's Sun Villages.

Unloved and Forgotten - China's Children of Shame

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2) (2026)

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2)

In contemporary China, young people express a shift in values and aspirations, prioritizing personal fulfillment over traditional notions of hard work and economic success.

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2)

China's Disillusioned Youth (2024)

China's Disillusioned Youth

Growing discontent among young people in China highlights the gap between President Xi Jinping's promises of prosperity and the harsh realities of economic stagnation and high unemployment.

China's Disillusioned Youth

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2) (2026)

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2)

Young Chinese people express their evolving dreams and aspirations, challenging the traditional values of hard work and prosperity as China's economy stagnates.

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2)

Chinese Dream: Modern Socialist Billionaires (Wealth Documentary) (2019)

Chinese Dream: Modern Socialist Billionaires (Wealth Documentary)

A weekend at the Formula One race track in Shanghai costs at least 10,000 euros for members of an exclusive car club catering to China's wealthy elite.

Chinese Dream: Modern Socialist Billionaires (Wealth Documentary)

Explore Classmates

Browse more like this

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2 (2025)

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2

By 2022, over half a billion people in China will belong to the middle-income group, significantly increasing their spending power and leisure activities.

The Secret Behind China's Success EP2

No digital watch option in your country

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2) (2026)

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2)

In contemporary China, young people express a shift in values and aspirations, prioritizing personal fulfillment over traditional notions of hard work and economic success.

China: What do young people dream of? (1/2)

No digital watch option in your country

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2) (2026)

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2)

Young Chinese people express their evolving dreams and aspirations, challenging the traditional values of hard work and prosperity as China's economy stagnates.

China: What do young people dream of? (2/2)

No digital watch option in your country

Morning Sun (2003)

Morning Sun

2003•1h57m•★6.9TMDB

Ten years of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution are examined through personal narratives of individuals who came of age during this tumultuous period.

30s Are (NOT) the New 20s (2023)

30s Are (NOT) the New 20s

2023•20m•★10.0TMDB

A reunion with lifelong friends marks David's transition into his 30s, prompting reflections on their lives and the passage of time.

30s Are (NOT) the New 20s

A Way Out (2017)

A Way Out

2017•1h34m•★7.0TMDB

Three young individuals in China confront societal expectations and personal aspirations over a six-year period amid rapid economic growth and cultural change.

A Journey of 35 (2017)

A Journey of 35

2017•1h24m•★10.0TMDB

Two decades after sharing their dreams, five Taiwanese teenagers reflect on how educational reforms have influenced their lives and aspirations.

A Journey of 35

To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self (2022)

To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self

2022•2h16m•★9.0TMDB

Since 2011, director Mabel Cheung follows a group of students at Ying Wa Girls' School during a decade marked by social and political upheaval in Hong Kong.

To My Nineteen-Year-Old Self

One Day When We Were Young (2021)

One Day When We Were Young

2021•1h50m•★8.2TMDB

Sixteen former students, now in their nineties, recount their experiences during World War II and the founding of Southwest Union University in China.

One Day When We Were Young

Purely Coincidental (2002)

Purely Coincidental

2002•1h32m•★9.0TMDB

Thirty years after their student days, a group of friends gathers to plan a robbery while maintaining their close-knit relationships.

Purely Coincidental

My 1980's (2019)

My 1980's

2019•1h20m•★7.0TMDB

Six key artists, including Ai Weiwei and Yang Lian, share their stories of struggle for freedom during a time of change in 1980s China.

Interesting Times: The Secret of My Success (2002)

Interesting Times: The Secret of My Success

2002•59m•★7.0TMDB

In Fanshen, a rural village in Northeast China, the one-child policy significantly influences family structures and local governance, as documented by director Duan Jinchuan.

Interesting Times: The Secret of My Success

The Great Learning (2021)

The Great Learning

2021•1h50m•★2.0TMDB

Four individuals at Tsinghua University face major life choices, including new students, PhD graduates, and returning scholars from the United States.

The Great Learning

Browse more by Lin Xin

View all films →

Preachers (2014)

Preachers

2014

Silent Landscape (2020)

Silent Landscape

2020

Riverbed (2016)

Riverbed

2016

Chen Lu (2005)

Chen Lu

2005

Chenjiayong (2020)

Chenjiayong

2020

Koudelka (2015)

Koudelka

2015

Gas (2010)

Gas

2010

Single Woman (2019)

Single Woman

2019

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →