ACF - Asian Cinema Fund

2013 Asian Network of Documentary (AND) Fund

LIST Lost Mountain (aka. Bullet from Nowhere)

Synopsis

In 1993, the government collected all shotguns from the Oroqens. The hunting era was over.
Old huntsman Achangyun preferred staying with horses in the mountains than living in a town. He contracted a stud farm and kept more than 100 hunting horses with traditional methods in the mountains, adhering to cultures of his ancestors.
Achangyun’s son Liangliang and his friends were the “post-hunting era” Oroqens who grew up in town. With huntsmen’s blood running in their veins, they couldn’t leave the forests. On an autumn day, horses on the stud farm were shot by poachers. Achangyun was furious, but there was nothing he could do about it…
Apart from riding motorcycles, the young were basically doing nothing, so they decided to organize a motocross race. The government heard the news and determined to interfere with the event, which upset the Oroqens. In the meantime, Achangyun was worried about Liangliang’s safety…

Director's Note

Two generations’ passionate but melancholy attachment to the forests, as well as the agreement and arguments between them, has given Gu the courage to film this documentary, although the courage is mingled with streams of sentiment. As an ethnologist once remarked, “The phenomenon of ethnicities doesn’t come naturally. Therefore, it won’t last forever.” Gu Tao wishes his documentary could inspire some thinking among observers of northern minority ethnic groups.

Festivals

Still Cut

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