The Herdsman (4K Restored Version)

Part of the wave of ‘Scar Literature’, a genre in Chinese writing that emerged in the late 1970s, capturing the trauma and resilience of intellectuals during the social upheavals in 1960s and 1970s, Zhang Xianliang’s novelette inspired Xie Jin, acclaimed third generation filmmaker in Chinese cinema, to bring his powerful story to the screen in The Herdsman.

The story begins with Xu Lingjun (Zhu Shimao) reuniting with his estranged father (Liu Qiong), who urges him to leave China and inherit the family’s business in the United States. Abandoned in childhood and later branded a ‘rightist’ because of his wealthy family background, Lingjun had been exiled to the remote grasslands of northwestern China to work as a herdsman. There, the warmth and generosity of fellow local herdsmen helped him rebuild his life. He married a young woman (Cong Shan) who had fled famine, raised a son, and, after the Cultural Revolution, became a primary school teacher on the steppe.

Shot on location in Gansu and intercut with scenes of bustling Beijing, The Herdsman contrasts sweeping natural landscapes with the modern metropolis, intensifying Lingjun’s inner conflict between city and grasslands, filial duty and chosen belonging. The film won Best Film at the 6th Hundred Flowers Awards and an Excellent Film Award from the Ministry of Culture in 1982.

Date	Time	Venue
15/11/2025 (Sat) #	3:30pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

# Post-screening talk with Eric Tsang Siu-wang

The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter. The presenter reserves the right to change the programme should unavoidable circumstances make it necessary.

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