The first to vanish from thirteen-year-old Arsin’s life was his uncle Yerken, nicknamed Arsin ‘botanist,’ who taught him everything about collecting plants. Then three years ago, on a snowy winter day, he left town. Has he drunk the elixir of life and become part of a tree like the old man from legend? Or has he found a leaf to hide under like a praying mantis? As work in the city, autumn meadows, and the promise of a better future draw away Arsin’s inner circle including his brother, best friend, and first love Meiyu, Arsin grows like the lush leaves of a tree nurtured by brilliant sunlight and shimmering creek water. With this debut film set against the natural beauty and local culture of northern Xinjiang, where he was born and raised, Yi Jing won the Grand Prix of the International Jury for Best Film in the Generation Kplus section at the Berlin Film Festival. (CHOI Eun)