Synopsis

In a remote northern town during winter, the paths of three unlikely individuals cross: a long-absent Russian photographer returning home, a wandering Han Chinese girl in search of her father, and a reclusive Tatar accordionist. In the darkest moments of their lives, their fleeting encounter brings their lonely souls closer together. Through their intertwined arcs of growth, each discovers a path to redemption and a sense of solace in their shared journey.

Curators’ note

Beyond individual stories, it offers a unique lens on the cultural anxieties of minority groups, grappling with identity and belonging amid the pressures of modernization. The vast, silent snowfields become a poetic canvas for a reality both fragile and profound, inviting reflection on the collective struggles of heritage in a rapidly changing world. （ Yuxi Yan）

Director’s bio

Dan Lu, a female director from Urumqi, Xinjiang, graduated from the Communication University of China. She is also a screenwriter and editor. Her graduation short film, Peacock Butterfly, received the First Prize at the China Graduate Film and Visual Anthropology Exhibition, a Best Feature Documentary nomination at the 13th "Memorial of Banxia" Beijing International Student Film Festival, was showcased at the Documentary Section of the 10th Chinese Youth Film Week, and earned a Best Director nomination at the 2nd China College Students Microfilm Competition. The Absent, completed in 2024, is her debut feature film as a writer-director. It was selected for the "Asian New Talent" competition section of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards, earning nominations for Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor (two nominees), and Best Actress.

Director‘s statement

The film focuses on the Russians and Tatars less depicted in Chinese literature and movies. Especially the Chinese Tatar ethnic group, which has the smallest population in China, currently only has over 3000 people. Tacheng, Xinjiang is one of the areas where they live most densely. As ethnic groups migrating from outside China, only the older generation of them still retains their own living habits and traditional culture, and most young people, like the young people of other ethnic groups, are far away from home and seek development in big cities, as if they had become a new type of 'Nomad'.

I was born and raised in Xinjiang since childhood, and at the age of eighteen, I left my hometown for the first time to travel alone. With the growth of age and my father passed away, many years of living in a foreign place have made me begin to re-understand the relationship between myself and my hometown. The childhood playmates, my father's house, and old ballads often haunt my dreams. I started trying to write, and went back to the familiar land to shoot my first film.

This is a story about seeking and returning. Ivan, a Russian youth, Re Fati, a Chinese Tatars hotel owner, and Xiao Yu, a Han girl, met in a small hotel in the border town in winter due to different situations. They are either looking for or themselves being the 'absent person'. In a way, they fill each other's gaps.

Festival & Awards

Selected as a finalist in the "Asian New Talent" competition section of the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival Golden Goblet Awards, earning nominations for: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Actor (twonominees ), and Best Actress

Casts

Nader Fatihe, Wang Yi, Refati Kalimufu

Scriptwriter：Dan Lu

Cinematographer: Shaohui Huang

Sound: Dukar Tserang

Art Director: Shaohui Huang

Editor: Di Jin

Credits

Scriptwriter：Dan Lu

Cinematographer: Shaohui Huang

Sound: Dukar Tserang

Art Director: Shaohui Huang

Editor: Di Jin