An unflinching record of contemporary life in China, his film Along the Railway (2001) shows the ticketless travelers on trains and those in the trainyards, people who have suffered broken dreams. This film has received accolades for its direct approach to documenting people who live a fringe existence along the railway of Baoji, in Shaanxi Province. Du was born in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, in 1972, and grew up in Boaji, the location of this film. In 2000 he graduated from the Beijing Film Academy with a degree in photography. He currently lives and works in Beijing.