The Black Sheep

The Black Sheep

Vincent Zheng • 2021

Duration: 00:34:10
Language: Tibetan, Chinese dialects
Subtitles: English
Country/Region: Mainland China

The reclusive Tanzin grew up alongside an unexpectedly born black lamb. In 1999, his father arranged a marriage for the fourteen-year-old, hoping he would inherit shepherding. A notice then required him to attend school. Tanzin said goodbye to the lamb and departed to face an unknown destiny.

AWARDS & FESTIVALS

Paris Jury Award

Festival International Signes de Nuit

France

2021

The International Film Festival - Capri Special Contest Award

Capri, Hollywood

Italy

2021

Tucumán Main Award Special Mention

Festival internacional Signos de la Noche

Argentina

2021

Honorable Mention Award

Thomas Edison Film Festival

United States

2022

The Best International Short Film

International Festival Signs of the Night

Thailand

2022

Moscow International Film Festival Moscow

Russia

2022

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

Vincent Zheng

Vincent Zheng

Director

In the winter of 2019, we filmed “The Black Sheep." It was my seventh year venturing into the Tibetan pastoral areas of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and it was also the setting of this film’s story. They treated me like family and said that this is my home on the grassland. The film is adapted from the true story of our friend Dou Taijia, Who was the boy in the story and he played the role of the boy’s father in the film. In the entire crew, only the director, cinematographer, and producer—three of us—have professional film experience; everyone else are amateurs. Sometimes, we filmed on the grassland in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, yet we still achieved outstanding film quality. This short film is also my way of giving back to these grasslands and my friends there.

TRAILER

The Black Sheep - TRAILER

FILM STILLS