Over the past two decades, Minning — a town in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region — has transformed from a piece of uninhabited land to a nationwide example in the battle against poverty.

Road of Hope, a feature-length film reflecting locals’ struggles to get alleviate poverty, opened across Chinese mainland theaters on Dec 6.

Directed by Dong Ling and written by Hu Hanwen and Dong Danrui, the film stars actor Ji Ta and actress Cao Xinyue.

Centering on a group of local villagers, the film depicts how they move from southern Ningxia’s isolated, poverty-stricken mountains to Minning to strive for a new life.