The Kazakh herders in China have been nomadic for generations, staying close to grass and water.
Alongside China's reform and opening up, changes are occurring in the herders' lives.
Winter, mid-1980s
Make sure you check everything.
Tighten the ropes.
Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!
Go check over there!
Take care of the children and elderly.
Hurry! I'm here.
Go check over there.
Looks like someone is there.
That's a person.
Is that Terbay?
Terbay! Terbay!
Terbay!
Wake up.
How are you?
Are you alright?
Wake up!
Azat, Azat.
Sawlex.
Azat.
What's wrong?
I can't go on.
I-I'm about to go into labor.
Get down...get down.
Hurry, be careful, watch out.
Hurry, hurry.
Be careful, be careful.
Coming through. Excuse me, kids.
Here.
Congrats, Azat. You're a father now.
Congratulations.
Congrats, congrats.
Thanks, everyone.
Is it a wrangler (girl)?
Or a shepherd (boy)?
A beautiful girl.
Congratulations!
Thank you. Thank you.
She was delivered by you.
You should name her.
Since we're in a blizzard,
I'll name her Borangül (blizzard flower).
Alright.
Careful.
Borangül.
Let's go.
Go, go.
We finally got out of Old Wind Gap.
Yep.
I knew that we could count on you, Humar.
I can't imagine what we'd do without you.
Go.
Jengis.
-Jengis. -Jengis.
Wake up, Jengis.
Jengis.
Where's Hasen?
Jengis.
Where's Hasen?
Hey, where's Hasen?
Listen to me, Hadisha.
Hasen and I have been traveling this route ever since we were little.
Don't worry, he'll be back.
Where the heck is he?
Where is he?
We'll split up and search for him.
Go. Go.
We've looked all over. He's nowhere to be found.
He's been missing for over 10 days, this is all my fault.
Mother.
If Father didn't go, someone else would have gone.
This is an accident.
Hey! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!
Who else is to blame, if he isn't?!
Stop it.
Are you trying to fight me?!
Mr. Humar! Mr. Humar!
Captain. Captain.
A blizzard is coming.
The village sent me to notify you all.
I already knew that.
This will be a hell of a blizzard storm.
Come warm yourself up with a cup of tea, son.
It's okay, Sir.
I still have to notify the other villages.
Go on then.
Alright.
What will we do, Father?
Sawlex will be in labor in a few days.
If it wasn't for all of you,
I was going to relocate everyone a while ago.
But...
No one will be able to leave when the snow blocks all the routes.
Without grass,
our cattle will be starved and frozen to death.
Go tell all the men to gather here.
Alright.
Listen up, herders. Listen up.
An emergency notice was issued from the
Autonomous Region Meteorological Observatory just now.
A blizzard will hit us tomorrow.
In the next 7 days,
the temperature will drop to 35 degrees below zero.
With a level 6 to 7 on the beaufort scale
and level 8 gusts of wind,
there will be snowdrifts.
This storm will be strong and will last a while.
We haven't seen one like this in years.
All villagers should hurry and prepare for the coming disaster and extreme cold.
I'll repeat. An emergency notice was issued...
We need to get through Old Wind Gap before the snow piles up and blocks it.
Everybody should return and pack your belongings.
Alright. Alright.
What about the camels?
Jengis and the camels are over on the other side of the mountain.
Right, Jengis still has no idea about the blizzard.
Hasen, sorry to trouble you, but you should go to Jengis.
I can't agree to that.
Why Hasen?
I trust his competence.
We're about to relocate
and every family will be busy.
Why can't you send someone younger?
We need the youngsters to open a path, finish things up here,
and make arrangements in advance for the relocation.
I trust Hasen for this task.
Jengis is my son, I'll go.
No.
He's herding the camels for us.
I'll go.
But we...
Enough!
I've had enough from you, woman. Go home!
Azat. Azat.
Azat, wake up.
Wake up. Are you hearing this?
Oh, this is no good.
Be good.
Father.
There are carcasses everywhere...
It's over there.
Azat.
Eat, go on.
Here.
Look at these little lambs.
How lovely.
Compared to a human life...
No amount of lambs can make up for it.
Son.
Send this to Ms. Hadisha.
Here.
I'm heading out, Father.
Alright.
Go.
Mr. Humar,
the sheep pull all the grass out by its roots to eat.
The grass
won't grow back well during summer.
Right.
It's still too early to relocate now.
We'll relocate our ranch for the spring season after Nowruz.
Alright.
Dear villagers,
winter is over.
Nowruz is here.
It's the beginning of a new year.
Spring, mid-1990s
Look.
Terbay the sheepskin collector is harvesting sheepskin.
He even does that to dead sheep nowadays, eh?
Great, it gave birth.
Another calf has joined our family.
This is so amazing.
Right. Right.
Our cow just gave birth to a calf,
but Ms. Hadisha's cow (a female camel)
is dying.
A swallow flew to your yurt.
That's an auspicious sign.
I guess you can say that.
But what should I do with my camel?
What happened to it?
Father, look.
That's ringworm.
It got it from the wild gazelles in the mountains.
It's our turn.
I came here early in the morning, and it's still not my turn.
Us too.
Take it easy, be patient.
Let's get this done one by one.
Everything will be okay after bathing the sheep in medicine.
Right. Take it easy. We're almost done.
This damn ringworm outbreak cost my family
a lot of sheep.
Right! Me too! Plenty of my sheep died too!
We can't shoot the gazelles that infected our sheep?
I didn't know that.
I won't shoot them from now on then.
Sir,
I need to register this rifle
and turn it into the police.
Please sign this document.
Sir, it's the law.
Our family have been hunters for generations.
We've never even pointed our rifle at someone.
We know that.
But hunting is illegal now.
Right, Sir.
Mr. Wang is right.
The eagle can be kept as a pet
but it can't be used as your personal hunting bird.
That's also the law.
I won't hunt again then.
But still,
I won't give you this rifle.
My father passed this down to me.
Sir, please be more understanding of us.
Didn't your grandfather tell you?
This gun saved his life.
My entire family is very thankful to you.
If it weren't for you, my grandfather would...
But all things aside,
we're here because of the rifle.
Sir, you used to be a captain.
Please be a role model for others.
Sir...you...Mr. Humar.
It's the law. Please reconsider.
Get out. Take your horse whip and get out of here!
Go.
Father.
What happened?
Your foot is out of its socket, old man.
This is pretty bad.
You need to help him, Granny.
I'll do what I can.
Let's go prepare the necessities, Sawlex.
Here, hold on to his leg.
Pull down, Bayan.
You pull up and you pull down.
Alright.
Take it slow.
Here.
Now, pull hard.
Again.
Alright, lay his leg flat.
Here, this is fresh out of the pot. It's still hot.
We'll eventually die
and you can't take the gun to your grave.
Just let it go.
Are you still thinking about it?
A man is not a man
without his rifle, is he?
But that doesn't mean you're losing everything.
You still have your horses, eagles, and hounds.
Right.
I bet Hasen would be so happy
to see these two get married.
Hadisha.
Back then,
you postponed relocating for your son's wife.
I bet you wouldn't leave if it weren't for the blizzard.
Ilyas.
Come over here.
What's up, Granny?
Let's go home.
Alright.
When relocating, I rode my horse and galloped forward.
Of course I'd stop by and tour around your village.
Hey, Mr. Humar!
What a nobody.
My lover who I can't stop thinking about.
Oh Arayda...
We're yielding less milk because of the bad grass.
The tea is a bit weak.
Right.
Now that there are more people on the grassland,
there are more sheep.
Every year, it looks like someone combed it over with a lawn mower
wherever the sheep herd goes.
The grass used to be this tall when I was little,
now this is all that's left.
I've been to Mayatu,
the river flow is more powerful this year.
If we don't relocate now, it'll be hard for us to cross the river later.
The lambs are still little,
and the ewes need to recover.
If the grass is bad, we can herd them further out.
We'll relocate in three days.
I pray for a lush and verdant grassland when we come back safely next year.
Why aren't you moving things?
What are we going to do with them?
Ulpan, get me a pair of scissors.
Be careful.
Ilyas.
We'll secure this swallows nest on a trunk with a couple of wooden poles.
Sure.
Alright.
Here, kid.
I was thinking about
waiting until they're able to fly away before relocating.
This will be good for them.
Bayan, Duman, hurry up.
We're about to move.
I have to go, please forgive me.
I hope to see all of you next year.
Ha! Durr! Ha! Durr!
Go.
Bayan! Bayan!
Stop now, Bayan!
Go, Azat!
Stop, Bayan!
Bayan!
Stop now, Bayan!
Watch out!
Look out!
From now on, my son belongs to you.
We need to keep moving.
The sheep herd is still waiting to graze in the summer ranch.
Father, you should go to bed.
It's still too early.
I haven't cleaned
this halter in a while.
Sawlex.
Father.
I'm getting old.
From now on, you should...
I'll take care of you for the rest of your life.
I won't go anywhere.
But we've been relocating and herding throughout the year,
this has been really tough.
Tough?
How is this tough?
What is the herd supposed to eat if we don't relocate?
City people have it good...
they don't have to suffer like this.
I heard Ulpan say that
Terbay has been doing well with his sheep leather and wool business.
He even bought a house in the city.
His wife also opened up a milk tea shop.
And it's been convenient for their kid to go to school.
Our family has been herders for generations.
We won't live like that.
B-But what about Borangül?
Let her be a herder as well?
You should get some rest, Father.
Summer, mid-2000s
Hi, everyone.
Is your trip going well so far?
Here, have a bowl of mare's milk.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Thank you.
Have a safe trip!
Bye.
Let's go check out the grassland.
3.1 kilos...
Next!
Here.
3 kilos...
Hey, Terbay!
What are you doing here?! Heaven is watching you.
But heaven doesn't pay me.
I'm okay as long as I can make money.
Here.
Do you know what you're doing?!
Sir, calm down, will you?
Look, Sir.
No one would eat a five-year-old sheep, right?
But if a goat can live until 5,
it can bring us 5 years of "soft gold".
I advise you to make an honest living.
Oh, come on, Sir.
Don't be so harsh, will you?
I'm giving everyone
a chance to get rich.
Right, everyone?
Yeah. Yeah.
Come, come, come. Let me weigh it out.
Come. One at a time.
Alright, that's 3.3 kilos.
Weigh mine first.
Come on over!
Here, weigh mine first.
2 kilos. 2 kilos and 300 grams.
Come on. Next. Next.
With the people's well-being as the focus
to accelerate the development of the pastoral areas and increase herders' income.
Let's listen to what the experts have to say.
For historical reasons,
the development of pastoral areas is relatively behind.
From developing via reform and opening up,
China's economic power has increased substantially.
To speed up the development of pastoral areas
we need mobilize and encourage
Food is ready, Father.
You can get back to work after eating.
Sure.
like the Kirgiz and the Tajik herders to settle.
This is an effective way to improve the quality of life for herders.
Borangül is about to come home.
We need to celebrate.
Oh Güldar,
who suffers from lacking a pair of wings,
I open my heart with passion,
I pour my heart and soul into my singing.
Sing a love song from the deep valley,
I wish my love could hear me.
Oh Güldar,
who suffers from lacking a pair of wings.
Sis, my daughter got accepted into a university.
Oh, she is going to Beijing! That's great!
Grandpa.
Hey, kid.
I made this saddle for you.
You're about to go to college, Borangül.
You shall remember the grassland
and this horse.
OK.
You can see afar only when you're on its back.
Grandpa.
I'll remember your words.
Thank you.
She's going to Ilyas.
These two kids
grew up way too fast.
Borangül and Ilyas are a perfect match.
They're free to love whoever they want.
You shouldn't get between them.
Are you going to hold a grudge against me for the rest of our lives
because of Hasen,
Hadisha?
You're so petty.
Quite the man you are for not seeing me.
If you're a real man, then take the exam again next year.
I'll wait for you in school.
I won't take it again.
I'm going to driving school.
I'll have more cars than the number of horses my father has.
Go.
Young people.
Congratulations on your wedding.
The two of you have started
a new chapter in life.
The beautiful bride
steps into the new yurt today.
We wish for the two of you
to grow old together.
Hey, Jengis.
I'll make sure you're a grandfather next year.
Thank you.
Telew.
Do you wish for a shepherd (boy)?
Or a wrangler (girl)?
It's all the same to me.
Your yurt's curved roof
will always be sturdy.
The newlyweds,
remember to repay the kindness of your parents.
May sweet love
forever be with you.
The newlyweds,
remember to repay the kindness of your parents.
May sweet love
forever be with you.
May sweet love
forever be with you.
Time for bed, Jiger.
Alright, Mom.
Have you noticed?
Ilyas seems to like Borangül a lot.
A daughter will always be her mom's little girl.
Of course I've noticed.
Borangül is leaving in a month.
I'll miss her a lot.
Do you think she'll come home?
When Azat was alive, he once said
the grassland is great and all,
but our children's future is more important.
Hi, Mr. Humar.
Hey, son.
You made it back.
Sir.
Here's the thing you asked me to bring back.
Thank you.
Thank you, son.
Hey! What the hell are you all doing here?!
Quit digging! Get lost!
Get lost!
Nowadays,
selling caterpillar fungus and fritillaries is very lucrative.
I heard that
Terbay is trading those things.
They're ruining the beautiful grassland.
Money certainly turns people into monsters.
Here, come take a look.
Real cashmere wool.
How beautiful.
How much is it?
2,000 yuan.
How much can you make in a year
from one goat?
At least 400 yuan.
400? That's a lot.
Well, besides cashmere.
Caterpillar fungus, fritillaries, and velvet antlers,
I'll take them all.
I'll take as much as I can.
Goats are a lucrative business.
And no one knows that.
That's enough. You should leave.
M-m-ma'am...
Mom.
Leave now.
Ma'am...you...I...
Mom.
You need to leave.
You know that goats ruin grasslands.
If you don't get into this business, someone will.
Don't get jealous
when you see someone else become rich.
Get out of my sight!
You'll regret this.
This grassland is too nice to be ruined by goats.
Duman, we should raise goats.
That way we can make a living.
Mom won't agree to it.
Ayna.
You don't agree to raising goats
and you don't agree to
going to my sister-in-law.
What do you want exactly?!
Ayna, you're being too loud.
That's enough.
I can't handle living a life
where we're poor and suffering anymore.
If you don't agree to it, then we can get a divorce.
Your brother even got a motorcycle.
And you have nothing!
Slaving away daily
won't get us rich.
I've had enough of raising sheep.
You can't blame the spoon for not having enough food in the pot.
We won't make it outside of the grassland.
Maybe you're better suited for the grassland,
but not me.
Ayna is asking me to go with her.
Go with her?
What do you mean?
Her brother works at the border.
They need more people, and asked us for help.
We're planning on selling our herd
and starting a border trade business.
Starting a business?
Do you know how?
I'll learn as I go.
Her brother and his wife are there for us.
What about mom?
You can have all of mom's assets.
You can move into our place
or mom can stay with you.
That's nonsense. You're the youngest in the family.
Don't you break the tradition.
What tradition?
Screw tradition!
Ayna has decided
that she'll divorce me.
Are you happy now?!
Hey, what the hell are you talking about?!
Stay out of my business! You can't tell me what to do!
You bastard!
Humar.
Please help me.
I'm so embarrassed
by this kind of family drama.
What a conundrum.
A divorce won't be good.
We should figure something else out.
But Duman is already 40.
He doesn't have other skills.
He won't be able to put food on the table in the city.
When I was Jiger's age,
I stole my father's gun to hunt rabbits.
Duman is a grown man, don't worry too much.
But...
A horse might run for hundreds of thousands of miles,
but they always end up returning to the stable.
Come on. Let's sit down and talk this over.
Here, Ilyas.
Mom.
My son.
Please forgive me, Mom.
Jiger.
Will you visit us, Dad?
Yes.
I've got to go, Mom.
Take good care of yourself.
I'm heading out.
Are you looking for us, Sir?
Yeah.
Goat feces is too alkaline.
It's destroying the grassland.
Terbay belongs to our village.
We should talk some sense into him.
Right.
Alright, alright.
Stop talking! You're so annoying.
That's such nonsense.
I won't listen. Save your breath.
Terbay.
Go.
Oh dear, Sir.
What's up with you?!
How did I wrong you?
Which law did I break?!
What is wrong with you people?!
Why are you treating me like this?!
Terbay, I'm telling you.
Don't even think about leaving
without an explanation!
Son, you lost your parents when you were a kid.
You were raised by all of us.
The government and villagers gave you sheep,
they helped you get married and get through life.
You can't turn you back on the villagers.
Did you forget about the blizzard back then?
If it weren't for the cadres who saved you...
do you think you'd be around today?
Think about that, son.
I don't care what other people do.
But I won't allow you to do it.
Terbay.
Get off of me!
Someone will do it even if I don't.
So why can't I do it?!
I've got bills to pay and mouths to feed.
I can't worry about everything.
I'll never forget
what you've all done for me.
The blizzard 20 years ago
made me realize that
even if I work through day and night,
taking good care of the herd,
I won't last if a bad snowstorm hits.
You! The motorcycle is all you've got.
Is that all you want?!
And you! What about you?! What do you have?!
Do you have a car?!
Can you afford a car?!
A car! A car!
Cloudy in Shenyang.
20 to 29 degrees celsius.
Overcast in Tianjin...
Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!
Grandpa! Your horse is gone!
Sawlex.
Father.
Get me the saddle.
What are you going to do, Father?
Horses that get lost because of the wind usually walk in the wind's direction.
But they won't go too far. Hurry up and prepare a horse.
OK.
I'm coming with you, Grandpa.
Look over there, Grandpa.
Borangül is about to leave.
My friend...
Are you planning to leave me too?
Let's go. We're about to relocate. Come home with me.
I pray for a successful relocation
and for next year to be smooth sailing.
Careful. Careful.
Here. Over here.
Here, kids. Careful.
Autumn, mid-2010s
Who uses these
nowadays?
Jiger, come here, son.
Even if that's the case, we still can't chop trees.
The birds won't come without trees.
Without birds, locusts populations will boom.
With too many locusts, there won't be enough grass.
What can the sheep eat if the grass is gone?
Hi, Grandpa.
Hi.
You came.
Sit down.
Over here.
How's your horse?
It's on the other side of the mountain.
You seem troubled.
I'm bored out of my mind.
So I came out for a walk.
Even a bowl of mare's milk costs money now.
Times are different from when you were young.
These city people...
They don't even appreciate the scenery. They're only here to shop.
Come on over here, guys.
There's good stuff here.
Come here, everyone.
This way.
Come over here.
Let me give you all an introduction.
I've got this over here.
This over here is called caterpillar fungus.
This thing can do wonders to the body.
You can't find this in the cities.
Grandpa.
Granny.
Oh hey, grans. You're hanging out here, eh?
This is your great grandpa.
Great Grandpa. Great Grandpa.
How's everything?
Kid.
Everything is great.
Ask your granny to hold you.
This is a birthday and cradle ceremony.
The engaged wear earrings and unveil the face.
The singing of young men and women echoes across the grassland.
The feasts are beautiful and wonderful.
This is a birthday and cradle ceremony.
The engaged wear earrings and unveil the face.
The singing of young men and women echoes across the grassland.
The feasts are beautiful and wonderful.
It's been so long, you never call home
and you never pick up when we call.
How've you been all these years?
I've been alright.
Your daughter is so little.
Ayna isn't her mother.
We divorced a long time ago.
Where is her mother then? Why didn't she come?
We got divorced too.
W-what's up with that?
I have no luck with love.
Are you having fun on the swing?
It's so fun.
Another divorce?
Duman...
never fails to worry Hasen and me.
We've heard things that
we'd never hear back in the day.
What is going on?
Have some tea, Mr. Wang.
Mr. Humar.
Those nice villages that the government is building
are finished.
They're fully equipped with water and electricity, and the roads are wide.
There are also schools and clinics.
It'll be very convenient for the elderly to live there.
Moving there sounds nice and all.
I realize that.
It's also important to conserve the grassland.
But, is there really no other choice?
This is the best way.
From now on,
you won't have to put any effort into relocating.
You think us Kazakhs aren't used to relocating?
What if I refuse to move there?
I understand where you're coming from.
Lifestyle changes
take time to get used to.
Young man...
I watch the news on TV too.
Implementing the "Returning Farmland to Forests and Grazing Land to Grassland" program
is a key mission for developing the ecosystem.
The beautiful grassland needs rest.
No matter how difficult this might be,
we need to move forward with this.
So are you giving us a plot of land for farming
and making a living with crops?
Grandpa, we're giving every herding family
160 square meters of land for their sheep herd
and 90 square meters for their cows.
Every family will have over 16 acres of grassland to feed the cattle.
The cattle will be sold with the help of a co-operative.
You can rest assured.
Grandpa. Grandpa.
You're doing a pretty good job as a village official.
What?!
Our last relocation?
Right, we'll relocate one last time.
When we leave the mountains, we'll be settling down for good.
I suddenly feel like
I've become a useless person.
Don't say that.
We're both old.
These changes are happening so fast.
Grandpa Humar.
Hi, Grandpa.
What's going on, kid?
Catch your breath and tell me.
Your horse...
What's going on with my horse?
I'm afraid that it won't make it for much longer.
We're both old.
You should go find a home for yourself.
I'll miss you.
Go on.
Don't feed it.
How long has it been since you've fed the eagle?
What are you trying to do?
Well, when it's desperate for food, it'll fly off to search for it.
It won't be of any use if it comes with me to our settlement.
Buddy...
Sorry for starving you...
Please forgive me.
Grandpa.
Grandpa, you should eat, even just a little.
It's been two days since you ate last.
You can't go without food and water.
Humar, it's just an eagle.
You're worrying our kids
if you just keep sitting there ignoring everyone.
Don't punish yourself like that, alright?
Relocating to a new home is a great thing.
I can't wait to move.
Why are you doing this, Humar?
Grandpa, I've been looking all over for you.
We're leaving the mountains tomorrow. So I wanted to go out for a walk.
You'll be very well-off, Grandpa.
Don't worry.
Alright, alright, alright.
Father.
We're moving to our new house.
Bayan.
Hun?
Get me a horse.
We should take the car, Grandpa.
It'll take less than 3 hours
to get to our new settlement.
Duman.
Go get your father's horse whip.
Go.