This film is adapted according to the real people and real events, that is, Zhao Zhifei Case 2011 (see Wikipedia). The hero was beaten and detained as a “petitioner”, when was traveling in Beijing alone. “Petition” and “interception” are the social focus. In China, some people would leave their hometown for Beijing to request an audience with the higher government authorities to voice their grievances and appeal for help. In the eyes of some local governments, however, these people disrupt social stability. And every effort is taken to stop them from going to Beijing. At present, “stability trumps everything”, the social conflicts became more and more acute. According to sources, interceptors are one hundred thousand person-times in provinces every year at least. During the Beijing Olympics, the number leaped to 30,000 in some provinces. So some security companies were emerged. Nominally they do security guard. Essentially, they make a lucrative deal with the local. They are profiteering through that arbitrarily arrested and detained people and sent them home. Based on such background, this film from a typical and absurd event to start narrative，presenting as a black and tragic social reality , by strong documentary feeling and gray-toned in storytelling. Driven by interests and power, abuses of violence make society and people alienate. Whether perpetrators or victims, all go to an unpredictable no-return road under the alienation.

Der Marathon – Ein Organismus. Ein gemeinsamer Rhythmus. Eine gleichmässig fließende Bewegung. Ein Ziel. Ein gemeinsames Bei-Sich-Sein. Wir sehen diesen Organismus auf uns zukommen. Wir studieren ihn. Sind für kurze Zeit mitten in ihm, ein Teil von ihm, spüren seinen Puls als wäre er unserer, fühlen seine Kraft und sehen seinen Antrieb. Dann lassen wir ihn weiterziehen, wie eine grosse Welle, die uns umschloßen, überrollt und uns wieder hinter sich gelassen hat, um ihrer eigentlichen Natur und Bestimmung zu folgen: der endlosen Bewegung.

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