Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl

In 1975, during the Cultural Revolution, Xiu Xiu, a young teenager, is dispatched to the isolated Sichuan steppes for manual labor. A year later, she joins Lao Jin, a nomadic Tibetan horseman, in an even more remote locale to learn the art of horse herding. Zhang Yuan's film captures the stark landscapes and the quiet endurance of its protagonist, who navigates the harsh realities of rural life with a resilience that belies her tender years.