Exploring the past

The filming location was also the "highest ever" for Lu and the crew. Starting from June 2020, the film concluded the last scene in October, with the cast and crew visiting multiple locations in Xizang, from Nagchu to Shigatse and Lhokha.

With the highest point of their filming at 5,000 meters above sea level, Lu says some crew members had to use oxygen cylinders.

"But luckily, our main actors and actresses are all local veterans. You will see that their acting and actions are all very natural, which might be quite hard for those who have not grown up on the plateau," Lu says, adding that Tibetan actors in the film refused to use doubles and did the stunts themselves.

Dozens of film industry insiders and reviewers attended a recent prerelease screening of the film at China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing.

The film garnered praise for showing the spectacular landscape in northern Xizang, which has been barely featured on the silver screen before, and the riveting characters.

Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, says the film is "among excellent Xizang-themed films in recent years, with its skillfully choreographed plotline and the resonating theme".