Tharlo

Shot in stark, stunning monochrome, this quietly devastating story of a simple-hearted shepherd is a rich allegory for a nation torn between past and future. Tharlo or Ponytail, as he is called, finds the certainties of his austere, isolated existence of herding sheep in the mountains called into question, when he is forced into the townscape by the bureaucratic modernisation: the photo identity card. In his odyssey under long, meditative takes, he encounters karaoke and chaos, political doubletalk and a young, modern Tibetan woman barber, who changes his appearance and his life.

Golden Horse Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay

Tokyo FILMeX: Grand Prize

20/8 (Sun): Guest filmmakers Jigme Trinley and Dukar Tserang will attend the screening