This is a story of revenge and redemption. On an isolated road passing through the vast barren plains of Tibet, a truck driver who has accidentally run over a sheep chances upon a young man who is hitching a ride. As they drive and chat, the truck driver notices that his new friend has a silver dagger strapped to his leg. He comes to understand that this man is out to kill someone who wronged him earlier in life. As he drops the hitchhiker off at a fork in the road, little does the truck driver realize that their short time together has changed everything, and that their destinies are inexorably intertwined.
“An extraordinary departure from the realist narratives that have made Pema Tseden's works celebrated at film festivals around the world. It is a fable, a Tibetan road movie and a tribute to classic Westerns all at once. JINPA's ferocious, visionary power is onscreen for all to see.” —Cinema Scope
“Intriguing; should please lovers of slow cinema with a more mystical edge.” —Hollywood Reporter
“[A] dreamy, languid treatise on destinations, spirituality, and promises—a trademark of Tseden's work.” —Now Toronto
“Playful, gently perplexing and distinctly stylish.” —ScreenDaily
“Dreamily austere; an idiosyncratic mix of deadpan wit and understated mysticism.” —Variety
Orizzonti Award for Best Screenplay, Venice Film Festival
Special Jury Prize, TOKYO FILMeX
Cyclo D'Or Critics Award, Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
Toronto International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
Helsinki CineAsia
AAS Association for Asian Studies Film Expo
New York Asian Film Festival