Description
In many of today’s cities around the world, for the Young, Parkour has become a hobby they relate to easily, a different activity offering a new identity. Beyond boundaries and religions, this extreme sport allows the youngsters to create their own universe, far away from the old-fashioned and banal world of grown-ups. Here in this film, we are in Urumqi, the Capital of Xinjiang, China’s Muslim province, close to Tibet, in the North-west of the country. We follow the adventures of a few young Uighurs united in a small Parkour Team that has big ambitions.
Aydar is 17 years old and has failed the exams for college. Since his father died, he has taken on the role of « head » of the family. Despite his passion for Parkour, he has become a rather prudent young man. In contrast, his younger brother Xirali adores extreme sports and dreams of being the next Jackie Chan. Their mother is concerned about their attraction to danger as well as their easygoing life style. She only wishes they were more mature. The brothers have created a small Parkour Team, and other young people of the neighbourhood, such as Sadam, join in. The plan is to participate in a national Parkour competition to be held in Beijing in the near future.
They spend hours and hours to perfect their skills, all the while they attempt to raise finance for the trip to Beijing. Xirali and Sadam are indeed determined to make it to the capital. Aydar doesn’t encourage his brother to go, but secretly helps to raise funds. Sadam travels miles to raise the funds from his family. But he grandparents are against « these extreme sports », and his drunken father will not help him. Fortunately, the generous love of his mother will support his passion.
Ready and excited, they leave for Beijing, only to find that the competition is even more intimidating than they had imagined. Those who stayed home are watching Xirali and Sadam performing on TV. They cannot but realize that their level of skills is way beneath the one of the champions, who will win all the trophies. On the long way home, the two boys reflect on the experience : they realise that after all, they have won a priceless understanding. Despite the failure at the Parkour competition, they have discovered a real sense of who they are. They know that there life will be different from here on.
