Herald rating: ***
A miniature epic, part-Western and part ecological docudrama, this is the latest in a long line of films set in Tibet that fulfil the movies' potential for taking us where we would otherwise never go.
Set in the desolate mountainous region of the title, it's the story of a mountain patrol tracking poachers of the rare Tibetan antelope. The trackers - the kind of men who make John Wayne look like a milksop - have more than the poachers to battle.
The austerely beautiful landscape is full of dangers both natural (quicksand) and physical (altitude sickness and pulmonary oedema) and, as rations run short, things turn bad.
The visuals are astonishing (although the print shown at the festival revealed some of the production's technical limitations) and go some way to compensate for the performances by a largely non-professional cast.
It even has something approaching a happy ending in ecological terms, although some of those who make up the high body count may not think so. Recommended.
CAST: Duo Bujie, Zhang Lei
DIRECTOR: Lu Chuan
RUNNING TIME: 92 minutes
RATING: M, content may disturb
SCREENING: Rialto
Kekexili
The desolate landscapes of Kekexilli are full of hazards.
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