The Horse Thief

Tian Zhuangzhuang's 1986 film is set on the Tibetan plateau and was shot almost entirely there with local performers. Norbu is a devout Buddhist who lives with his family inside the clan and makes a living stealing horses. Accused of stealing from the temple, he is banished with his family and pays for being outside when his son falls ill. After a second child is born, everything he does is aimed at keeping the boy alive and getting back into the clan. The film leans on dialogue almost not at all, advancing through ritual, landscape and repeated action. Tian belongs to China's Fifth Generation, and this is among the most formalist works of that group. The production ran into censorship and its release was kept extremely limited. Who it's for: viewers who like slow cinema and films with an anthropological attention. Who it's not for: anyone wanting narrative and character psychology; the film keeps both in the background.