Kaili Blues 2016

Ex-convict Chen Sheng works as a doctor in a quiet rural community in Kaili, trying to build a steadier life after years of trouble. He shares a tense, uneasy bond with his half-brother, Crazy Face, whose neglect of his own son, Weiwei, becomes a flashpoint in their fraught relationship. When Weiwei suddenly vanishes, Chen jumps to the conclusion that Crazy Face is somehow involved in selling the child. The accusation fuels a sharp confrontation, but the truth twists in a different direction: he learns that Weiwei was taken on a trip by his former mentor, Monk, to the neighboring town of Zhenyuan. With a mix of worry and determination, Chen sets off on a search, driven by a stubborn desire to protect the boy.

Before Chen departs, an elder village doctor asks him to deliver a few keepsakes to her old lover, a Miao musician who now lies near death in Zhenyuan. This small, compassionate errand threads into the larger journey, hinting at past loyalties and lingering memories that will echo through the days ahead.

On the train toward Zhenyuan, Chen’s mind drifts into a dreamlike corridor—an enigmatic village named Dangmai where time bleeds together and the past, present, and future mingle. In this surreal detour, he travels most of the distance on the back of a young man’s motorbike, a figure who eventually reveals himself as Weiwei. Along the way, he encounters a hairdresser who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. Opening up to the hairdresser, Chen revisits a long-past chapter of his life: he met his future wife in a club during his days as a young gangster. When his wife fell ill, Monk stepped in to help; Chen later repaid that debt by avenging Monk’s son, who had his hand cut off and was buried alive after a gambling debt dispute. This violent act lands Chen in prison for nine years, during which both his mother and wife die. The journey through Dangmai culminates in a moment where Chen serenades the hairdresser with a song, as a traveling rock band performs nearby, weaving music into the emotional fabric of his memory.

Upon arriving in Zhenyuan, Chen reunites with Monk, who explains that he brought Weiwei there after fearing Crazy Face might sell the child. Monk urges Chen to allow Weiwei to stay with him for a few more days, a suggestion that stirs a quiet, hopeful smile on Chen as he watches Weiwei through a pair of binoculars, a small but meaningful gesture of connection amid mounting tension.

Chen then visits the old doctor’s old lover’s home, seeking details about the musician. There, he learns that the Miao musician has died, marking the end of a life that touched many others in subtle but enduring ways. In a final, poignant moment, the musician’s pupils play one last song to send him off, a quiet, almost spiritual farewell that lingers in the air and in Chen’s memory, underscoring the delicate balance between fate, duty, and the human ties that remain after loss.