19/25
Released from prison, Lang returns to his hometown in northwestern China. As part of a dog patrol tasked with cleaning up stray dogs ahead of the 2008 Olympics, he bonds with a stray black dog. The two lonely souls embark on a new journey together. Eddie Peng [the lead] formed such a strong bond with Xin, the dog featured in the film, that he adopted him after filming wrapped. Best Movies and More of 2024 (2024). I had no idea what to expect when I saw this film. It was slow but captivating. It’s set in a somewhat bleak environment, but it really opened my eyes to how people exist in some parts of China. It’s an austere, barren, and treeless existence, yet the city is gearing up for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with propaganda blasting over the loudspeakers in true Chinese communist fashion. It’s not hard to dialogue, what’s NOT said is what makes you think. I see what a winner it was at CANNES.