Når Lang kommer tilbake til hjembyen i utkanten av Gobi-ørkenen, er det ingen der for å møte ham. Moren gikk bort for flere år siden, og den alkoholiserte faren har flyttet. På jobb i hundepatruljen kommer han over en svart hund som han fort knytter et bånd til, og de to fortapte sjelene legger ut på en reise sammen. Regissør Guan Hu forteller en nydelig fotografert, poetisk roadmovie om to «outsidere» som finner sammen. Årets hundefilm!

Filmen hadde premiere i sideseksjonen Un Certain Regard i Cannes i 2024, hvor den vant hovedprisen.

«At its heart, the film is really a classic story of redemption, taking lots of unexpected turns as it follows a down-and-out hero toward recovery.»

– Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter –

Guan Hu (f. 1968) er en kinesisk filmskaper. Han slo igjennom med debutfilmen Dirt i 1994, en lavbudsjettsfilm om Beijings musikkscene. Siden har han laget flere prisvinnende filmer, blant annet Cow (2009), The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel (2013) og Mr. Six (2015).

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After being released from prison, Lang returns to his hometown. The Beijing Olympics are just around the corner, and the city is to be cleaned up. He is assigned to the group tasked with removing stray dogs but finds an unexpected friend.

When Lang returns to his hometown on the outskirts of the Gobi Desert, there is no one there to meet him. His mother passed away years ago, and his alcoholic father has moved away. While working in the K-9 unit, he comes across a black dog with whom he quickly forms a bond, and the two lost souls set out on a journey together. Director Guan Hu tells a beautifully shot, poetic road movie about two «outsiders» who find each other. This year's dog film!

The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2024, where it won the top prize.

«At its heart, the film is really a classic story of redemption, taking lots of unexpected turns as it follows a down-and-out hero toward recovery.»

– Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter –

Guan Hu (b. 1968) is a Chinese filmmaker. He made his breakthrough with his debut film Dirt in 1994, a low-budget film about Beijing's music scene. Since then, he has directed several award-winning films, including Cow (2009), The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel (2013), and Mr. Six (2015).