: Amidst the "mournful air" of the landscape, the film captures the "inevitable end of childhood" as the boys face disillusionment and betrayal.
: Critics have praised the "masterfully lensed" nomadic road movie for its epic scale, contrasting the smallness of the children against the vast, unforgiving Gansu desert. River Road - ainda sem legenda
The story follows Bartel and Adikeer, brothers from the , who embark on a 500-kilometer trek across the Gansu province. Following the death of their grandfather, they set out on camels to find their parents, who are herding sheep in the summer pastures. : Amidst the "mournful air" of the landscape,
: By focusing on the Yugur people (a small subset of the Uyghur minority), Li Ruijun highlights the disappearance of nomadic traditions and languages. Following the death of their grandfather, they set
Their path follows a , once a life-giving "River Road" that supported lush grasslands but is now a barren wasteland of dust and sand. Along the way, the brothers must navigate not only the harsh physical landscape but also their own strained relationship, eventually uncovering a heartbreaking truth: their father has abandoned traditional herding for a desperate, illegal gold-panning operation. Themes and Cinematic Style