“Viva La Vida” (Original title: Wo men yi qi yao tai yang) is a profoundly sentimental Chinese drama film about two terminally ill patients falling in love. It follows Ling Min, a young woman who needs a kidney transplant. She comes across Lü Tu, a young man suffering from a brain disease. The film follows their journey as they both learn to overcome their fears and embrace their lives. Gengxi Li, known for her work in “A Little Reunion” and “The Long Season,” plays Ling Min, whereas Yu Chang Peng, known for starring in “An Elephant Sitting Still,” plays Lü Tu.
Spoilers Ahead
Viva La Vida (Wo men yi qi yao tai yang, 2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Directed by Yan Han, “Viva La Via” (2024) is a Chinese movie that follows a young woman who needs a kidney transplant and meets a young man dying from a brain disease. The script written by Yan Han, Liangwen Li, Xiaoai Wang, and Fuzhi Yang follows their stirring journey as a couple.
What happens in the ‘Viva La Vida’ (2024) movie?
“Viva La Vida” (Long Live Life) follows Ling Min (Gengxi Li), a terminally ill young woman who needs a kidney donation to survive. She has been hospitalized multiple times to the point she is fatigued by these visits. Usually, it takes months for patients to receive a kidney from a donor. Tired of waiting, Ling Min decides to make a video online. She requests people to offer her help to survive. In exchange, she agrees to marry them. Her parents are tired and stressed as well. It pains them to see her suffer. While trying to continue living her life, she contemplates the worth of all the turmoil.
Eventually, Ling Min deleted the video she had uploaded earlier online. However, she soon meets Lü Tu (Yuchang Peng), a young man who happened to see the video. He offers his kidney to help her survive. She rejects his offer, believing he is a desperate man looking for her attention. But he keeps following her wherever she goes. Meanwhile, Zhao Dahu (Xun Wang), an opportunistic realtor, starts looking for new tenants for her apartment. Eventually, he makes unreasonable demands from her since his clients get worried seeing all her medicines in the apartment. They think it affects the feng shui.
Why does Lü Tu want to help Ling Min?
Ling Min gets frustrated by Zhao Dahu’s unreasonable demands, and he treats her like an unwanted part of society. So, she confronts him in the middle of the street. Lü Tu happens to be somewhere nearby. After hearing Ling Min pour her heart out, Lü Tu confessed the truth. He wants to help her for a personal reason. It turns out Lü Tu has a brain disease that leaves him with only a limited life. He shares details of his medical history. Since there is no available treatment for his condition, he is going to die soon. He wants to donate his kidney to Ling Min, hoping she will survive and take care of his mother after his death. She rejects his offer and decides to file a complaint with the police about him for stalking her.
The cops assume Ling Min and Lü Tu are part of an organ trafficking racket. Once the doubts are cleared, the cops let them go. But Lü Tu gets so embarrassed that he runs away without his medical documents. So, the cops hand them over to Ling Min. While heading back home, she reads them. Soon, the realtor offers her another apartment to move into for his benefit. Despite the police station visit, Lü Tu keeps following Ling Min. Once, he gets in a fight with some men. He claims he did so to protect Ling Min. Although an embarrassing situation, it brings him closer to Ling Min. He stays by her side for an urgent hospital visit and helps her relocate. So, she lets him be a part of her life.
Viva La Vida (Wo men yi qi yao tai yang, 2024) Movie Ending Explained:
What does Ling Min learn about Lü Tu’s condition?
Over time, Ling Min and Lü Tu grow fond of each other to the point she agrees to let him stay in her apartment. Soon, he invites his mother, Tao Yi (Fan Xu), to meet Ling Min. Tao Yi reveals how gullible Lü Tu is, making him susceptible to conspiracy theories. Regardless, Ling Min realizes that Lü Tu is harmless and innocent. Despite his foolish theories, she starts falling for him. Soon after, Ling Min learns about a potential kidney donor and heads to the hospital. However, the donor backs out at the last moment, leaving her stranded. Still, Lü Tu stays by her side and thinks his sacrifice will be worth saving her life. Seeing how good he has been, she agrees to marry him.
After their marriage, Ling Min happens to bump into her old boyfriend. He left her immediately after he learned about her illness. Now, he is in debt with several personal loans. So, he seeks her help. She offers him money, but he wants to be with her again. She refuses that request and leaves him to be with Lü Tu, who is compassionate and selfless. Later, while on a trip, Ling Min sees Lü Tu suddenly fall ill. Subsequently, she meets Lü Tu’s doctor to speak about his condition.
There, she realizes the truth. Lü Tu’s condition is, in fact, treatable. However, Lü Tu does not want to go through the treatment as he considers his life worthless. Instead of spending for his treatment that may not be successful, Lü Tu wants to help Ling Min with his kidney upon his death. However, Ling Min refuses to let Lü Tu lose his life when he can attempt the treatment.
Does Lü Tu agree to go through the medical treatment?
Toward the end of “Viva La Vida,” Ling Min realizes Lü Tu’s brain disease is treatable. Soon, her parents learn about their marriage and his condition. So, they offer to help him with their money, seeing his great kindness. Even though Lü Tu keeps refusing treatment, Ling Min, her parents, and his mother keep motivating her to have hope. Ling Min makes him see the light at the end of the tunnel and not consider his life worthless. She makes him appreciate what he has and tries to nurture it through the treatment.
So, he finally agrees to undergo the medical procedure. At the end of “Viva La Vida,” we see Lü Tu undergo treatment for his brain disease and survive. After he wakes up, he and Ling Min decide to hold a grand wedding, unlike before. They have a grand ceremony with the people who love and support them.
