“That’s where the miracle of life is accomplished. The more alone he is, the more desolate the surroundings. But, also, the hotter he is, the colder he becomes. And the more he walks, the more life sweeps him back up again. He thought he wanted to die and, by walking, his body teaches him that he is, in fact, a man who loves life.” ? Volker Schlondorff Charles, a teacher from Paris, has his car break down in Kazakhstan en route to the Khan Tengri Mountain. He is ostensibly looking for a buried treasure trove of gold, but is actually seeking something quite different. He meets Ulzhan, who travels with him the rest of the way across the steppes of central Asia. Similar to the existential journey undertaken by the wounded Faber in Schlondorff’s own Voyager (1991), Ulzhan concentrates on one man’s mission to mend his shattered soul.