Authentic appeal

Yangshik Tso plays a seductress hairdresser in Tharlo, a black-and-white feature film directed by Pema Tseden. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Though it has Pema Tseden's trademark glacial pacing and static shots, Tharlo embodies fascinating details in both its visual compositions and its sound design. The singing alone by various characters suggests an era of fast changes and cultural fusion, with folk songs, rap and other music styles sharing space on the soundtrack.

"This movie is about ethnic Tibetans, but I hope people of all ethnicities can relate to it because I believe it can transcend racial and geographical boundaries," says Pema Tseden, a graduate of the famous Beijing Film Academy.

Pema Tseden started making movies in 2002. He is also the writer of the scripts of all his movies, many of which are adapted from his own novels and short stories.

Last year, Tharlo entered the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival and was nominated in six categories at the Golden Horse Awards held in Taiwan, winning best screenplay for Pema Tseden. It opens on the mainland on Friday.

Jia Zhangke, a forerunner in China's art-house cinema, said at the movie's premiere on Dec 5: "I won't feel lonely with Pema Tseden and his work as we continue on the journey of giving voice to the same age and the same country."

Contact the writer at raymondzhou@chinadaily.com.cn