“Return to Dust” A wheat-colored picture scroll, a song about walking with a nameless donkey

nameless donkey

Just as the camel ridden by the two boys in Li Ruijun's previous film, " Let's Go Home " (2014), was, he gives the nameless donkey in "Return to Dust" the same value as the cast. The donkey is family, property, and a means of transportation for the two boys. And the canvas of the film that Li Ruijun spreads out has an atmosphere that captures the original landscape of a western movie, a hometown. The audience goes on a journey through the screen with Youtie, Kuiyin, and the donkey. The beautiful photography of this film has a gentle rhythm, like a picture scroll unfolding with the donkey's steps. A picture scroll of wheat ear color. The sound of the bells that ring softly every time the donkey walks will remain in your ears forever. The donkey has no name, but just like the lives of Youtie and Kuiyin, the poem of the nameless is born from the donkey's steps.

"Return to Dust" ©2022 Qizi Films Limited, Beijing JQ Spring Pictures Company Limited. All Rights Reserved.

A harsh winter is coming to this region again. Due to rapid development plans, the landscape where the two men and the donkey walked will soon disappear. The image of the two men laughing and crying together will be blown away by the wind and become dust somewhere. Li Ruijun finds a song in this dust. Life and time do not disappear, but continue to drift in the dust.

A soul free to graze. A paradise free from the system that makes someone a loser. A paradise that doesn't harm or threaten anyone. An illusion on a screen that soon disappears. It must have been heaven. The sound of the donkey's bells continues to sing forever, following the trail of the journey the two of them walked.

*Press materials for "Return to Dust"

Text: Daiji Miyashiro (maplecat-eve)

Movie criticism. Contributed reviews to ``Leos Carax: Movie Wanderer'', Eureka's ``Wes Anderson Special'', Real Sound, Soen, otocoto, Toshio Matsumoto Special Pamphlet, etc.

Reserve "Return to Dust" now ↓

View work information

"Return to Dust"

Now open to rave reviews

©2022 Qizi Films Limited, Beijing JQ Spring Pictures Company Limited. All Rights Reserved.