Yes, at intermediate level. Dying to Survive is a drama in natural Shanghai-area Mandarin about a man smuggling cheap cancer drugs from India. Its language stays grounded in money, family and illness, and the human story helps you follow it.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Format
- Film
- Year
- 2018
- Length
- about 117 min
Why it works for learners
Inspired by a real case, this film puts you among shopkeepers, patients and police, so you hear people haggling, pleading and arguing over practical matters. Words for medicine, illness, prices and the law are useful well beyond the film. It also shows how Mandarin can sound outside a textbook, with a regional flavour in everyday speech. At 117 minutes, with a clear story and strong emotional scenes, it stays easy to rewatch a section at a time.
What makes it hard
Local accents and rough, casual speech differ from the standard Mandarin in courses. Medical and legal terms show up without explanation. Scenes with several patients talking at once are harder to catch, and the subject matter is heavy for repeat viewing.
How to use it
Watch with Chinese subtitles in two sittings. Choose a few bargaining or pleading scenes and repeat lines aloud to get the tone. Note where the accent differs from what you learned, so you recognise it without feeling you should copy it.
More for Chinese learners: our Chinese guides.
Keep it where you'll see it
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