This film is a quintessential example of an essay film, employing the common method of weaving text and imagery to create an intertextual relationship in its structure. The film’s narrative is grounded in two letters—one from the “auntie” in the 1970s, and the other from “me” in 2023 as a reply to the auntie. The auntie’s identity as a sent-down youth in Jiajiang in the 1970s serves as a representation or reflection of migrants of that era. Through this specific identity, the film provides a glimpse into individual emotions during that particular period.“I” take part in the filming of a grand celebration in the city, where the participants of this event, anonymous individuals, also symbolize the complex relationship between power and the individual. Additionally, the author uses the railway as a metaphor for the times, responding to the “dominant narrative” of the era with poetic language.