Director: Yang Rui
Length: 91 mins
Production: 2004-2006
Synopsis:
In the Daliang Mountain region of Sichuan, China, lives the ancient tribal Yi minority. Their priests are called Bimo. For hundreds even thousands of years, the Bimo have relied on memorized scriptures to communicate their people’s desires with the ghosts and spirits of the world. This film followed the story of three very different Bimos.
The Spell Casting Bimo came from a clan famous for the power of their curses. He specializes in black magic rituals. One curse is enough to hurt, even kill a person. But with the Chinese government’s prohibition of these ceremonies, he has fallen from the position of feared power to sad unemployment.
The Soul Calling Bimo is the respected master of white magic. He cures the sick and calls to souls for help and good fortune. But his past hided sadness and pain. In his quest to birth a son to whom he could pass on his Bimo scriptures, he has married four women. By the time he had a son at 64 years old, his abandoned previous three wives had died heart-broken and alone.
The Village Cadre Bimo: he was empowered by the Communist government with religious Bimo and political cadre status. He held power in the world of people and spirits. However, when he abused this power during the village mayor elections, the government dismissed him.
Times changing, the ancient tribal stories of the Bimo continue on…