The Botanist

In a remote village, nestling in a valley on the northern border of Xinjiang, in China, Arsin, a young Kazakh boy, finds solace in the company of plants. When he meets Meiyu, a young, spirited, unpredictable Han girl, his world is upended: her energy reminds him of a mysterious, rare plant. As their friendship blossoms, it deepens into a delicate, dreamlike allegory that blurs the lines between reality and the enchanting world of botany. - 'I wanted to create an almost magical universe where plants and human beings are inextricably linked. The nomadic memories of the young Kazakh � his maternal grandfather, his uncle, his cousin � surface at different stages of his eternal life. These recollections bridge the communication gap between the boy and the girl, while plants become the soul of their relationship. Human beings yearn for eternal love, just as plants pulsate to the keen rhythm of the seasons… In the valleys and steppes of Xinjiang, the light remains bright even when it is cloudy. Radiant yet melancholy, this memory is like a vine growing in the shadows.' Jing Yi