To Kill a Mongolian Horse

An intimate portrait about masculinity in crisis from a female perspective.

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SCREENDAILY
"… elegiac first feature …"
"… touching human tale."
"… finely judged and captivating ..."
"… her assured storytelling makes it resonate more widely as she draws us into Saina’s dilemma and creates some deeply felt moments."

ICS
"… a new kind of Western, told from a daring and unique perspective …"
"Jiang immediately establishes herself as an essential voice in contemporary global cinema."

FILMUFORIA
"... stunning cinematography …"
"An impressive and intelligent study of masculinity ..."

THE MOVEABLE FEST
"… an impressively confident feature debut…"

TAXI DRIVERS
"… a poetic and genuinely nostalgic vision …"
"Xiaoxuan Jiang is a strong candidate as one of the most interesting film profiles, internationally, for the years to come."

Synopsis

Saina tries to make ends meet as a herdsman in the wintry steppes of Inner Mongolia. By day, he takes care of his family’s horses while juggling a grumpy father and a dysfunctional relationship with his ex-wife. At night, he performs in breathtaking horseback shows. Unlike the majestic cavalryman he portrays in the show, Saina must come to terms with how dramatically the world he grew up in has changed.

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Details

FIRST FEATURE

Director: Xiaoxuan Jiang
Genre: Drama
Original title: To Kill a Mongolian Horse
English title: To Kill a Mongolian Horse
Country of production: Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, USA
Year of production: 2024
Length: 97 min
Color: Color
Shooting format: 4K
Screening format: DCP 2K
Original language: Mongolian, Mandarin Chinese
Subtitles: English

Cast: Saina, Undus, Qilemuge, Tonggalag, Qinartu
Scriptwriter: Xiaoxuan Jiang
Director of photography: Tao Kio Qiu
Production designer: Zongjian Hou
Editor: Zhong Zheng
Sound design: Bobo Lau
Sound mixing: Junyi He
Music: Unur
Producers: Zhulin Mo, Tan Chui Mui
Production company: Da Huang Pictures, HUniche Pictures
Co-production company: La Fonte
Supported by: Asian Cinema Fund, Asian Project Market, Visual Industry Promotion Organization (VIPO), White Light Studio, Sundance Ignite, Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum, Red Sea Fund

Film poster

Festivals / Awards

Giornate degli Autori / Venice Days, Italy - World Premiere - Authors under 40 Award - Special Mention for Best Directing and Screenwriting
Le Vie Del Cinema, Italy
Filmfest Hamburg, Germany
Busan IFF, South Korea
FanHua Chinese FF, Italy
Le Grionate della Mostra del Cinema di Venezia (Triveneto), Italy
São Paulo IFF, Brazil
Belfast FF, UK
Mar del Plata IFF, Argentina
Red Sea IFF, Saudi Arabia - Yusr Award
Göteborg FF, Sweden
Palm Springs IFF, USA
Tromsø IFF, Norway
Santa Barbara IFF, USA
Vesoul IFF of Asian Cinema, France - Special Mention of the International Jury, The Friends of The Guimet Museum Award
FánHuā Film Festival 2025, Italy
Bengaluru IFF, India
Cinevesture IFF, India
D'A - Barcelona FF, Spain - Critics Award
Osaka Asian FF, Japan
Hong Kong IFF, China - Firebird Award
Sprouts FF, Netherlands - Jury Award in the Eco Competition
Lichter FF Frankfurt International, Germany
MOOOV FF, Belgium
Red Lotus Asian FF, Austria
Seattle FF, USA
Sydney FF, Australia
International Art FF, Slovakia
Taipei FF, Taiwan
Tofifest IFF, Poland
New York Asian FF, USA