Synopsis
Ten years after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Yushu, a group of professional musicians search for new voices of Tibetan folk songs in local primary schools. The new generation carries the hopes of Tibetan families, and in their bright voices, we can sense warmth, human resilience, and inner strength.
Zhou Hongbo
ZHOU Hongbo is a documentary director contributing to the Documentary and Humanities Channel at Shanghai Media Group. He graduated from Beijing Film Academy with a master’s degree in Directing. ZHOU is recognized as a jury member for the Asian New Director Award at Discovery Channel China and as a review panelist for the West Lake International Documentary Festival (IDF).
Director's statement
This documentary follows musicians traveling across Tibet’s mountains and valleys to audition children in Yushu’s primary schools for a Tibetan youth choir. Ten years after a major earthquake destroyed the city, the resilient Tibetan people continued their humble lives. The children’s pure voices reflect the unpolluted sky, earth, and wind.
The film focuses on the faces and voices of Tibetan children, born after the earthquake and sometimes believed to be reincarnations of siblings lost in the disaster. Their songs capture the essence of “one” and “many” in Buddhist philosophy: “one” encompasses the richness of “many,” and “many” embodies the wholeness of “one.” This reflects the weight of life, both heavy and light.
