I'm all about mood and atmosphere this morning, and Swirling Into the Wind strikes me as just right for a cool December day.
Accompanied by a gently twanging stringed instrument, the trailer, as good as it is, tells me nothing about the film's story, so I'll quote the official synopsis below:
"Film school student Kun graduates into a real-world that moves too fast to care about his auteur aspirations and sound recording skills. Yearning for an escape away from Beijing's grinding survival races, he sets off for a film shoot in Inner Mongolia's lush grasslands, where amusing man-made spectacles and unforgettable lessons await him."
OK, I get that now. Here's a taste more, from the official verbiage:
"With three Cannes official selections under his belt at the age of 30, writer-director Wei Shujun is an unstoppable force rising from the Chinese indie film scene. In the feature inspired by his real-life experience, he leisurely delivers sharp observations of the embarrassments surrounding film education and indie filmmaking in a money-oriented society with witty humor."
Striding Into the Wind screened at Cannes in 2020. It opens today at the Laemmle Playhouse in Los Angeles and will open in Toronto at Revue Cinema on January 21, 2022.
Visit the official site for more information.