FILMS. 4th EDItION DAWANDEH It is 1923, on the remote Tibetan plains. Two horsemen dressed not well received in China, selling just seven prints, Tian himself heepskin gallop over a ridge on their way to rustle a coral of horses. dismissed the lack of audience. As he said in a controversial interview Half drama and half reconstructed documentary on a life long past with Yang Ping for the magazine Popular Cinema:"I shot Horse Horse Thief is director Tian Zhuangzhuang's romantic peaen Thief for audiences of the next century to watch. Chinas Noble Savage Norbu is the Savage in question. With his long mass of tangled -Scarlet Cheng hair, his well-tanned and sinuous torso, and his dark flashing eyes, he rides a horse with as much dignity and naturalness as he strides the arid plains. He may steal horses and way lay Muslim travelers in the desert, but he is, nevertheless, a devoted husband to his wife, dolma, and doting father to his young son, Tashi. In this film we become DAWANDEH witness to the rites and passages of traditional Tibetan life-the ritualistic offerings to the gods: a funeral wake that ends with the corpse being laid out to be pecked apart by vultures; a visit by Norbu, (The Runner his wife, and son to a temple to spin a row of vertical prayer wheels mounted on colum Iran. 1984 In one especially stunning scene, a crowd of men gather in the ley to worship the Mountain God. They set up an endless wailing Director: Amir naderi as they push the sacred sheep ahead of them. They toss wads of votive paper into air. Caught by gusts of wind, the papers swirl forward, like giant snowflakes, blanketing the valley amidst a spooky chorus of Production: Tehran Institute for the Intellectual Development of voices. In another hypnotic scene Norbu and Dolma stand, pray, and Children and Young Adults; colour, 35mm; running time: prostrate themselves across the plain against a series of superimposed religious objects and temple architecture. The sound of bells, the Executive producer: Fathola Dalil; screenplay: Amir Naderi, Behruz drone of chanting, the rhythm of a single drum--all help transport us Gharibpur; photography: Firuz Malkzadeh: editor: Bahram Beyza'i into the primeval world of legend. assistant director: Mohammmad Hassanzadeh; production design Horse thievery is one thing-but desecration is another. One day Gholam Reza Ramezani sound: Nezam-e-Din Kia'i Norbu and his outlaw partner come upon a sacred ground, where offerings have been left strewn about. They begin to pick through the jewelry and ornaments. "The big pile is for the temple, the small ones Cast: Majid Nirumand(Amiro): Musa Torkizadeh(Musa):A well split between us, says Norbu. Then something catches his eye Gholamzadeh(Uncle Gholam); Reza Ramezani(Ramzan something of his own. Returning home, he gives it to his chortlin boy: but here in the pristine, primeval world, everything is linked, and Publications there is no crime without punishment. As the village elder says, Norbu has offended God. He stole the officials temple gifts. He continues, The officials demand a serious punishment, but no matter Articles hat, he's a member of my clan. According to our rules, he is to be driven out forever Variety(New York), 2 October 1985 As Noble Savage, Norbu manfully accepts his fate and leaves at Sabouraud, F,"L'enfant double. in Cahiers du Cinema(Paris) once. Exile, however, is not the worst punishment. His young son December 1986 soon falls ill. Norbu brings back Holy Water from the temple to dab Glaessner, Verina, in Monthly Film Bulletin(London), august 1988 his son's forehead; he rocks the sick child in his arms, singing, Go to Skrien(Amsterdam), April-May 1990 leep and I will give you a horse/ There's a saddle ready for you, and I have a bridle, too/ I will catch a star just for you. But for all of Norbu's tenderness, the boy dies. Even the land itsel is sick. As stock animals die off in droves. Norbu's tribe is forced move west, and Norbu himself must steal again. In the end, he pays a desperate price for his transgressions Dawandeh follows the day-to-day life of 13-year-old Amiro.The ving amongst the underclass of an Iranian po Director Tian (b. 1952) entered the Beijing Film Academy in community. Depicting the details of his life-collecting bottles 1978, and yet he had to go elsewhere to make the two films on which discarded from ships, shining shoes, and at home on a derelict boat on his reputation is based--to the Inner Mongolia Film Studio for On the the shoreline--this is a remarkable story of a boy who rises above all Hunting Ground(1985; a film about Mongolian horsemen)and to odds to better himself. Xian Film Studio for Horse Thief. In Horse Thief, using only spars Amiro is charged with a will to survive: in addition to struggling to dialogue, Tian has created a stunning poetry with visuals, editing, and earn enough money to feed himself, he takes himself to school for sound that convey the very experience of living in an ancient tribal literacy classes. Everything to the boy is a challenge, and the almost universe, a world of myth and immutable laws. Although the film was palpable spark within him drives him onward in his quest for triump 1FILMS, 4 DAWANDEH th EDITION 291 It is 1923, on the remote Tibetan plains. Two horsemen dressed in sheepskin gallop over a ridge on their way to rustle a coral of horses. Half drama and half reconstructed documentary on a life long past, Horse Thief is director Tian Zhuangzhuang’s romantic peaen to China’s Noble Savage. Norbu is the Savage in question. With his long mass of tangled hair, his well-tanned and sinuous torso, and his dark flashing eyes, he rides a horse with as much dignity and naturalness as he strides the arid plains. He may steal horses and waylay Muslim travelers in the desert, but he is, nevertheless, a devoted husband to his wife, Dolma, and doting father to his young son, Tashi. In this film we become witness to the rites and passages of traditional Tibetan life—the ritualistic offerings to the gods; a funeral wake that ends with the corpse being laid out to be pecked apart by vultures; a visit by Norbu, his wife, and son to a temple to spin a row of vertical prayer wheels mounted on columns. In one especially stunning scene, a crowd of men gather in the valley to worship the Mountain God. They set up an endless wailing as they push the sacred sheep ahead of them. They toss wads of votive paper into air. Caught by gusts of wind, the papers swirl forward, like giant snowflakes, blanketing the valley amidst a spooky chorus of voices. In another hypnotic scene Norbu and Dolma stand, pray, and prostrate themselves across the plain against a series of superimposed religious objects and temple architecture. The sound of bells, the drone of chanting, the rhythm of a single drum—all help transport us into the primeval world of legend. Horse thievery is one thing—but desecration is another. One day Norbu and his outlaw partner come upon a sacred ground, where offerings have been left strewn about. They begin to pick through the jewelry and ornaments. ‘‘The big pile is for the temple, the small ones we’ll split between us,’’ says Norbu. Then something catches his eye. From a pile he picks out a golden medallion, which he exchanges for something of his own. Returning home, he gives it to his chortling boy: but here in the pristine, primeval world, everything is linked, and there is no crime without punishment. As the village elder says, ‘‘Norbu has offended God. He stole the official’s temple gifts.’’ He continues, ‘‘The officials demand a serious punishment, but no matter what, he’s a member of my clan. According to our rules, he is to be driven out forever.’’ As Noble Savage, Norbu manfully accepts his fate and leaves at once. Exile, however, is not the worst punishment. His young son soon falls ill. Norbu brings back Holy Water from the temple to dab his son’s forehead; he rocks the sick child in his arms, singing, ‘‘Go to sleep and I will give you a horse/ There’s a saddle ready for you, and I have a bridle, too/ I will catch a star just for you. . . .’’ But for all of Norbu’s tenderness, the boy dies. Even the land itself is sick. As stock animals die off in droves, Norbu’s tribe is forced to move west, and Norbu himself must steal again. In the end, he pays a desperate price for his transgressions. Director Tian (b. 1952) entered the Beijing Film Academy in 1978, and yet he had to go elsewhere to make the two films on which his reputation is based—to the Inner Mongolia Film Studio for On the Hunting Ground (1985; a film about Mongolian horsemen) and to Xian Film Studio for Horse Thief. In Horse Thief, using only sparse dialogue, Tian has created a stunning poetry with visuals, editing, and sound that convey the very experience of living in an ancient tribal universe, a world of myth and immutable laws. Although the film was not well received in China, selling just seven prints, Tian himself dismissed the lack of audience. As he said in a controversial interview with Yang Ping for the magazine Popular Cinema: ‘‘I shot Horse Thief for audiences of the next century to watch.’’ —Scarlet Cheng DAWANDEH (The Runner) Iran, 1984 Director: Amir Naderi Production: Tehran Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults; colour, 35mm; running time: 94 minutes. Executive producer: Fathola Dalili; screenplay: Amir Naderi, Behruz Gharibpur; photography: Firuz Malkzadeh; editor: Bahram Beyza’i; assistant director: Mohammmad Hassanzadeh; production design: Gholam Reza Ramezani; sound: Nezam-e-Din Kia’i. Cast: Majid Nirumand (Amiro); Musa Torkizadeh (Musa); A. Gholamzadeh (Uncle Gholam); Reza Ramezani (Ramezan). Publications Articles: Variety (New York), 2 October 1985. Sabouraud, F., ‘‘L’enfant double,’’ in Cahiers du Cinéma (Paris), December 1986. Glaessner, Verina, in Monthly Film Bulletin (London), August 1988. Skrien (Amsterdam), April-May 1990. *** Dawandeh follows the day-to-day life of 13-year-old Amiro. The boy ekes out a living amongst the underclass of an Iranian port community. Depicting the details of his life—collecting bottles discarded from ships, shining shoes, and at home on a derelict boat on the shoreline—this is a remarkable story of a boy who rises above all odds to better himself. Amiro is charged with a will to survive: in addition to struggling to earn enough money to feed himself, he takes himself to school for literacy classes. Everything to the boy is a challenge, and the almost palpable spark within him drives him onward in his quest for triumph