River Road (Chinese: 家在水草丰茂的地方; pinyin: jiā zài shuǐ cǎo fēng mào de dì fāng) is a 2014 Chinese drama film written and directed by Li Ruijun and starring Tang Long and Guo Songtao. It made its world premiere at the 27th Tokyo International Film Festival, in 2014.
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Synopsis
While their parents graze their sheep far from the town, Adikeer stays at a boarding school in town and his older brother, Bartel, lives with their grandfather, a sheep herder from the Buddhist Yugur ethnic minority. When their father fails to pick them up for summer break and their grandfather dies suddenly, the two brothers embark on a journey with their camels across the vast, dry expanse of western China alone, in search of their father, by following the path of a dried-up river bed.
Cast
Tang Long as Adikeer
Guo Songtao as Bartel
Bai Wenxin as Grandfather
Guo Jianmin as Father
Ma Xingchun as Monk
Reception
With no big stars and a little-known director, River Road was largely overlooked at the box office, even though domestic film critics like Wei Junzi highly recommended it on Sina Weibo on the day of its premiere.