Chinese writer-director Jing Yi’s contemplative debut feature draws on his own Xinjiang roots and Kazakh heritage in an evocative exploration of memory and place. Thirteen-year-old arsin lives with his grandmother in a remote village near Kazakhstan, where life moves untouched, a world out of time. Arsin helps his older brother herd sheep, but he’s also a budding botanist cataloguing local flora, finding refuge in the vast natural vistas of Xinjiang, and losing himself in the reverie of traditional folk beliefs. He befriends Meiyu, a Han girl whose nature reminds Arsin of a rare, otherworldly plant. Exquisitely shot in 4:3 aspect ratio to perfectly represent the boy’s dreamlike state, we are transported by the wonderful music of Iranian pianist and composer Peyman Yazdanian.

This screening will be introduced by Marie-Pierre Richard (EAFFI Discoveries).

Notes by Marie-Pierre Richard