The Botanist at Triskel Arts Centre, Cork, on 11 Dec. 13-year-old Arsin lives in a remote village near Kazakhstan and is fascinated by the local folklore and flora. He befriends a Han girl who reminds him of a rare plant. Part of EAFFI Discoveries.
Chinese writer-director Jing Yi’s contemplative debut feature draws on his own Xinjiang roots and Kazakh heritage in an evocative exploration of memory and place. Thirteen-year-old Arsin lives with his grandmother in a remote village near Kazakhstan, where life moves untouched, a world out of time. Arsin helps his older brother herd sheep, but he’s also a budding botanist cataloguing local flora, finding refuge in the vast natural vistas of Xinjiang, and losing himself in the reverie of traditional folk beliefs. He befriends Meiyu, a Han girl whose nature reminds Arsin of a rare, otherworldly plant.
(Marie-Pierre Richard for EAFFI Discoveries)
Winner Grand Prix, Generation Kplus, Official Selection, Berlin International Film Festival 2025.
