Original title (ZH): 一匹白馬的熱夢 (Yī pǐ báimǎ de rè mèng, Fever Dream of a White Horse)
Herders and horse riders are losing their way of life in Mongolia and bemoan the overuse of their beloved steeds in daring acrobatic shows for Chinese tourists. Director Xiaoxuan Jiang, a native of Inner Mongolia who studied film in New York, has created a set of emotional characters in a bleak but beautiful Mongolian setting.
Director Jiang’s lovely quiet film features beautiful scenery and effective acting that speaks to the ongoing destruction of native cultures. Themes in her previous award-winning short film (Graveyard of Horses, 2022) have included femininity, nature, animals, and mysticism.
Main character Saina—played by an actual champion rider (and non-professional actor) of the same name—struggles to keep the family’s livestock and land, which are jeopardized by his father’s mounting debts, and to maintain his relationship with his estranged wife and small child. To Kill a Mongolian Horse offers a rare look at Inner Mongolia from an insider’s perspective.