The Botanist
Zhi wu xue jia
Botanik
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Film screening adapted for blind and visually impaired persons - provided with audio description

The delicate friendship between a boy and a girl in a remote Chinese valley deepens into a dreamlike allegory that blurs the lines between reality and the enchanting world of botany.

In a village in a remote valley on the northern border of Xinjiang, China, a lonely Kazakh boy named Arsin nurses fading memories of his family. He finds solace in the company of plants. The arrival of Meiyu, a spirited Han girl, is like the discovery of a rare, otherworldly plant he has never seen before, bringing him comfort and a strange sense of wonder. Together, they grow like two distinct species, rooted in a shared corner of the world, imagining the valley as an endless ocean. But one day, Arsin learns that Meiyu will be moving to Shanghai, which is 4,792 kilometres away. Arsin is left alone to grapple with the quiet shifts in their small, fragile world.

"Li's debut feature is simple and profound. Arsin and Meiyu are not just characters but coordinates of expression, their faces carrying both memory and distance. Yet, Li's true protagonist is something greater: the layered distances of Xinjiang. His work subtly unfolds the temporal gap between tradition and modernity, the spatial divide between inland and coast, and the dreamlike spiritual space between reality and illusion." (Bi Gan, Chinese filmmaker)
Section: PANORAMA
Directed by: Jing Yi
Country, year: China, 2025
Length: 96 minutes
Subtitles: English,Slovenian
Language: Mandarin, Kazakh

Screening in cinema:

Sun, 16.11.2025 19:20 Kosovel Hall
Thu, 20.11.2025 14:50 Kinodvor Cinema

VOD service:

Notice
Please note that this film is not available as VOD service.
Screenplay:
Jing Yi
Cinematography:
Li Vanon
Cast:
Jahseleh Yesl (Arsin), Ren Zihan (Meiyu), Nurdaolet Jalen (brother), Eramazan Sarhet (babica), Jomajan Songhat (Aman)
Producent:
Monologue Films & 28ST Films
Sales:
Magnify
international@magpictures.com
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About director
Born in Xinjiang, China, in 1994, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy. He set out on his filmmaking career with several shorts, often exploring the inner worlds of minority groups in contemporary China. The Botanist is his debut feature film.
Filmography
2019 Bu Kao Si Ji (Bukowski) (kratki/short)
2021 Man Li Ka (The Princess) (kratki/short)
2025 Zhi Wu Xue Jia (The Botanist/Botanik)