Set in the Central African Republic's capital city of Bangui, Eat Bitter is the result of an impressive collaboration between directors from China and the Central African Republic, respectively. Sun Ningyi and Pascale Appora-Gnekindi, the two female directors, use fluid cinematography and dense narrative to tell the stories of Luan, a Chinese engineer overseeing the construction of a new bank in downtown Bangui, and Thomas, a local laborer who dives into the riverbed to scoop sand. These two men spend their days crushed by the weight of their lives. Luan travels to Africa in search of a better life but at the cost of a broken home. Thomas risks his life for his children by diving into the river, but things don't get any better. Add to this the fact that the civil war that has long paralyzed the Central African Republic threatens to erupt again, and their future becomes even more uncertain. Through their daily lives, the film captures the stories of the people directly involved, which are often overlooked when discussing the geopolitical relationship between China and Africa. The specific experiences and emotions conveyed by the two protagonists allow a story from a specific local context to acquire universality. This is a rare work that shines with both human compassion and social science insight.