Zhuang si le yi zhi yang

Strange things happen to a jovial truck driver named Jinpa on a desolate road in the high plains of Tibet. After accidently running over a sheep, Jinpa picks up a hitchhiker who is bent on revenge for the murder of his father. The man does not look like the killing type to Jinpa, so he decides to follow the man to see how things turn out. Karma, luck and parallel universes combine along the way to guide Jinpa, along with the sheep he hit, to the next stages of life.

The soft natural light, gentle pace and exotic locations of the film are alluring and soothing to experience. The simple appearance of the film and straightforward performances by the actors, obscure a more complex and sophisticated narrative. It is a fascinating glimpse of a remote corner of the world with vibrant, happy and colorfully dressed people with intriguing and vastly different customs than are own. Tea/gambling/alcohol houses are centers of town life, for instance, and people are free to carry on intimate relationships with whomever they please (such things are not the focus of the film, just aspects of it). Seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.