Ordinary Hero () is a 2022 Chinese drama film directed and produced by , and starring Li Bingbing and Feng Shaofeng. Based on the true story of the race to save a 7-year-old Uyghur boy from Hotan, Xinjiang, whose arm was severed in a freak accident. The film follows the boy's journey across 1,400 km, as rescue personnel race against time to complete emergency treatment during the critical first eight hours ("the golden hours") in which the limb could be preserved. The film was theatrically released on 30 September 2022, a day before China's National Day.
At 7:20 PM on April 30th, Xiaomai, who lives in Layika Township, Hotan County, accompanied her mother and brother to a walnut orchard. While her mother and brother were busy with farm work, Xiaomai was playing by the field. While playing, Xiaomai's bamboo dragonfly flew under a running tractor. Trying to retrieve the dragonfly, Xiaomai's right arm became entangled in the running machinery and was severed. Starting at 8:25 PM, Xiaomai's mother and brother drove through the countryside and bazaars to Hotan City, carrying the injured Xiaomai. With the assistance of traffic police and emergency medical personnel, Xiaomai was placed on the operating table at Hotan Regional People's Hospital at 10:00 PM. After bandaging Xiaomai, Dr. Aikebai offered the option of either suturing the wound directly to save her life or traveling to ÃÂrümqi for an arm replacement. Upon hearing this, her mother collapsed in the hospital. Xiaomai's brother, who chose to save his arm, had no choice but to take Xiaomai to the flight to Urumqi.
However, by the time Xiaomai and her brother arrived at the airport by ambulance, the last flight to ÃÂrümqi, CZ6820, was already preparing to take off. However, with the coordination and assistance of Hotan Airport, China Southern Airlines, ÃÂrümqi Airport, the crew, and passengers on board, the plane returned to the jet bridge and Xiaomai and her brother boarded the flight. At 00:09 on May 1st, Flight CZ6820 took off. To shorten the flight, with the assistance of the Civil Aviation Administration of China's Xinjiang Air Traffic Management Bureau and the People's Liberation Army Air Force, the flight flew directly from Hotan through restricted airspace to ÃÂrümqi. On the plane, Xiaomai's wound began to bleed due to pressure changes, and she later developed a pneumothorax caused by the collision with the tractor. With the help of flight attendant Zhou Yan and doctor Liu Rui, Xiaomai overcame the difficulties.
Before arriving in ÃÂrümqi, ÃÂrümqi Airport provided flight CZ6820 with the shortest route. The emergency center activated its emergency plan. At 1:36 a.m., flight CZ6820 landed in ÃÂrümqi. It was already 2:12 a.m. when Xiaomai and her brother arrived at the Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Xinjiang Medical University. The hospital was fully prepared, performing preoperative examinations, cleaning the amputated limb, and drawing blood. Xiaomai's surgery began at 3:09 a.m., and she returned to the ward from the operating room at 7:13 a.m. Xiaomai's mother also arrived in ÃÂrümqi to reunite with Xiaomai and her brother.
Production started in Urumqi on 16 September 2021 and ended in Qingdao at the end of November.
Ordinary Hero was released on 30 September 2022, in China.
On September 19, 2022, Ordinary Heroes premiered in Urumqi. The film was released in mainland China on September 30, 2022. A month after its release, the screening time was extended.
Ordinary Heroes grossed RMB 14.65 million on its first day, bringing its cumulative box office to RMB 222 million.