Abstract

VILLEN-HIGUERAS, Sergio Jesús  and  CABRERA-CORRES, Marta. A baokuan film about chronic myeloid leukemia as a driver for reforms in the Chinese health care system: the case of Dying to Survive (2018). Rev Med Cine [online]. 2022, vol.18, n.3, pp.237-247.  Epub Nov 07, 2022. ISSN 1885-5210.  https://dx.doi.org/10.14201/rmc.27870.

Among the many Chinese film productions addressing the world of medicine, it is especially noteworthy Dying to Survive (2018) by Wen Muye, a film based on the true story of Lu Yong, a person suffering from chronic myeloid leukemia who in 2004 organized a smuggling network aimed at introducing the generic version of the imatinib into China. This production became a baokuan film, that is, a film that reached a great social, economic, and in this case, political and legal repercussion. Thus, using this film as a case study, this research aims at analyzing how this type of leukemia and its treatment are reflected in the film, exploring how the smuggling of generic medicines is represented and resignified, as well as examining this film's sociopolitical and health impact in China. Main results achieved include the representation of the evolution of this disease through the character Lu Shouyi, the importance of the Indian pharmaceutical industry in the production and supply of the imatinib, the emergence of a heterotopy around the introduction and distribution of this medication in China, and the strong influence of this film on the review and renewal of some drug laws by the government of China.

Keywords : leukemia; pharmaceutical companies; imatinib; health system; baokuan film; Chinese cinema.

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