Went to see "Keke Xili" at Nanfang college. And I am glad I went for it.

It is a powerful epic that tracks the life-and-death struggle of a small group of local Tibetans who fights to save the chiru (Tibetan antelope) from extinction by a band of ruthless poachers.

I know nothing about this film when I decided to go for it. In fact, I had no intention to catch it in the first place thinking it might be one of those boring art film. I was even more disinterested when I hear it's a documentary-styled movie. My colleague convinced me that it's a very nice film and we might get to know some 'lengluis' over there. I yielded.

The first 20 minutes, I was in a state of confusion. I couldn't get the idea what it's all about. Probably due to distractions from incoming viewers I couldn't stay focus. I don't know who is who in the movie. And there isn't much talking either. Even if they did, I can't understand what the people are saying. Most of the cast members are local Tibetans who speak their language. And when they speak Mandarin, their accent are very unfamiliar to me.

Close to 30 minutes into the movie, as everyone has settled down, I began to grasp the gist of the story. At first, I thought it's about police brutality. I saw people with guns kicking and beating people up. I was thinking is this an anti-government film? Then it dawned on me. The people I am watching are volunteers who put their life on the edge to confront the merciless hunters in order to protect the endangered species in China's largest animal reserves, Keke Xili.

Suddenly, I found myself seeing this movie with a whole new meaning. I felt a sense of eagerness to follow their every moves. Believe me, you might wonder why the heartfelt and tearful goodbyes of the family members and the strong brotherly bond between the brave patrolmen.

As the story goes, I realized it's the life threatening situation they'll be facing in the seemingly endless barren tundra like the surface of the moon on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. They starved but still have to share their food with captives despite facing severe food shortage, they toiled through muddy landscapes with their vehicles, risked being caught in quicksand and snowstorm. These are the uncertainties that harsh nature has in store for them.



What's even more tragic is the constant threat from the much organized poachers. All the heroic men died in the end. Either at the hands of the poachers or by the harsh natural environment.

All along, a young Beijing photojournalist, Ga Yu (Zhang Lei), embeds the team. At first as an observer, distanced by the lens of his camera, he was staggered by the rough treatment of the men at the hunters and skinners. Slowly, he becomes personally involved in the struggle as he gradually becomes aware that this is not just a regular patrol. It's a dangerous journey where the patrolmen became the hunted!

And when he returns to Beijing after being spared alive by the poachers, his story shocked the nation. It sure has shocked me.

This is a true story brought to screen by Lu Chuan (陸川), a graduate from Beijing Film Academy.


The population of the Tibetan antelope dwindled precariously, beginning in the late 80's to early 90's. The patrolmen bury about 10,000 antelope a year. Imagine how many goes unaccounted for. It is prized for its skin to make the luxurious shahtoosh scarves for the wealthy consumers. Three to five antelopes have to be killed to harvest its wools and make one shahtoosh shawl. Today, only 50,000 remain.

Keke Xili has become a national wildlife reserve since 1995. And the film played a large part in making the Tibetan antelope one of the official mascot of Beijing Summer Olympics 2008.

Thanks to the event of Chinese Film Festival, I become acquainted to this film. And I would like to pay tribute to those who died protecting the animals.

For animal lovers and those who love documentaries, this is the film to watch! It has got STELLAR REVIEWS from New York Times. It is supported by the National Geographic. It is the winner at the Taiwan Golden Horse Award (2004), Tokyo (2004) & Berlin (2005) International Film Festivals and a Grand Jury Prize Nominee at the Sundance Film Festival (2005).




Watch it and feel it. Don't miss it.

To know more about Keke Xili and the antelope, go to:
http://www.kekexili.com/english/
http://english.enorth.com.cn/kekexili/kekexili.htm