The war drama Gezhi Town (《得闲谨制》) is officially set for online release on February 17, 2026. Led by Xiao Zhan, Peng Yuchang, and Zhou Yiran, the film unfolds as an emotionally charged story about civilians pushed to the edge of survival.
Set against the backdrop of wartime displacement, the narrative follows Mo Dexian, a machinist portrayed by Xiao Zhan. He is not a soldier, not a revolutionary hero — just a husband and father trying to keep his family alive. Forced to flee with streams of refugees, he seeks shelter deep in the mountains, eventually arriving at a remote settlement known as Gezhi Town.
There, fate brings him into contact with Xiao Yan, an air-defense artillery commander played by Peng Yuchang — a soldier forgotten by the retreating main forces, left behind with a handful of scattered men. In this isolated town, fragments of broken lives gather together, attempting to rebuild something resembling peace.
For a fleeting moment, Mo Dexian, his wife Xia Cheng (Zhou Yiran), his elderly father (played by Yang Xinming), and his young son experience the illusion of a pastoral refuge. The mountains shield them. The silence soothes them. Life, though fragile, begins to settle.
But war does not forget.
The sudden arrival of a Japanese reconnaissance unit shatters the stillness. What was once a sanctuary becomes a battlefield. What was once a town of quiet endurance must now decide whether to surrender or resist.
Unlike conventional war epics that glorify military strategy, Gezhi Town focuses on the fragile yet unyielding courage of civilians. The townspeople possess no advanced weaponry, no formal command structure. What they have is intimate knowledge of their land, sharp improvisation, and the unspoken resolve to protect the only home left to them.
Mo Dexian’s transformation lies at the heart of the film. He does not seek heroism, yet circumstances demand it. Xiao Yan, burdened by abandonment yet driven by duty, must reconcile his identity as a forgotten soldier with the responsibility of leadership. Their uneasy alliance becomes the backbone of a desperate resistance.
The conflict that unfolds is not merely physical. It is moral, emotional, existential. When faced with overwhelming force, what gives ordinary people the strength to stand their ground? Is survival enough — or does dignity matter more?
On February 17, 2026, Gezhi Town invites audiences to witness a battle fought not for glory, but for belonging. Not for history books, but for the right to call a place home.
