Two Orphans
In the early 1990s, a mainland teenager, Tang De, follows his godfather, Uncle Zhang, and boards at an elite school in Hong Kong. Due to his remarkable talent in horseriding, he helps the school’s owner, British nobleman Stephen, place bets at the Hong Kong Jockey Club – but this only makes him a target of bullying by other students. Only Stephen’s adopted daughter, Qiao Bo, treats him kindly and sincerely, persuading him to leave the school.
Before secretly returning to his hometown in Shandong, Tang De promises Qiao Bo that they will meet again. A decade passes, and the successful Uncle Zhang returns to the small village where Tang De lives in the hope of buying the extraordinary horse that Tang De has raised. He brings with him the ageing Stephen, as well as Qiao Bo, who is now Uncle Zhang’s wife.
Old feelings between Tang De and Qiao Bo are rekindled. But, as the deal is sealed, Uncle Zhang retaliates against Tang De. Humiliated, Tang De releases the horse, sacrificing his own future to exact revenge.
Unclassified 15+
Course: MFA FTV Narrative
Director Biography
Kexin Zhao is a young director born and raised in China and educated in Australia. Heavily influenced by directors Satoshi Kon and Edward Yang, she is committed to creating realistic stories while employing nonlinear narratives. Zhao strives to tell stories from an Eastern perspective, often bridging Eastern and Western cultures, and she focuses on Chinese-Australian co-productions. Her graduation short film, Run with the Mountains embodies this approach, and she is currently working on adapting it into a feature-length film.