39/17
Released from prison, Lang returns to his hometown in northwest China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with rooting out stray dogs ahead of the 2008 Olympics, he bonds with a black stray dog. The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together. Eddie Peng [the lead] forms such a strong bond with Xin, the dog featured in the film, that he adopts her after filming wrapped. Referenced in Close-up: The Best Films of 2024 and Other Scores (2024). I had no idea what to expect when I saw this film. It was slow but completely engrossing. It’s set in a somewhat bleak setting, but it really opened my eyes to how people exist in some parts of China. It’s a stark existence, barren and treeless, but the city is gearing up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics with propaganda blasting from the loudspeakers in true communist China style. Although the film is sober, there are several parts that are quite humorous. there is no heavy dialogue, but what is NOT said makes you think. I can see why this was a winner at CANNES.