Direction: Jiang Xiaoxuan
Country: Malaysia / Hong Kong / other
Manchurian writer-director Jiang Xiaoxuan makes a promising debut with To Kill a Mongolian Horse, a gloomy contemporary drama centered on the loss of cultural identity and the difficult adaptation to a new reality. Set against the arid landscape of Inner Mongolia, the story follows Saina (a first-time actor playing himself), a dexterous horseback performer who sees the traditions he cherishes slipping away.
Divorced, Saina works at both a tourist show and a popular local equestrian site to make ends meet—most of his income goes to his ex-wife (Qilemuge), who has custody of their child—while he also looks after his alcoholic, gambling-addict father (Tonggalag). The work is unstable, but Saina refuses to sell his beloved horses. Matters worsen when a massive mining project is announced for the grasslands where they live. The developers promise the families a small apartment in the city, but would they ever be happy there?
Adopting a documentary-like, Jia Zhangke-esque approach, To Kill a Mongolian Horse carries a reflective strength, keeping you in quiet suspense until its shattering finale. Details accrue gradually, rewarding patience, and despite its unrelenting tone, this anguishing story becomes both poignant and meaningful as its characters hover between a joyful past, a dispiriting present, and an uncertain future. With its no-punches-pulled realism and emotional precision, this deeply felt drama deservedly earned Xiaoxuan the “best director and screenwriter under 40” prize at Venice.
