Badema

Directed and written by Lu Wei, with Chen Kaige (director of "Farewell, My Concubine") credited as "art adviser," this film tells of a band of soldiers sent out by the Xia emperor to collect a "blood tax" -- that is, male babies who can be raised in the emperor's service -- from a remote village.

When young Bilike finds an ordinary ping pong ball, he and his friends take to flights of imaginative whimsy and embark on a journey to find the source of the mysterious unknown object. Bilike's old grandmother says the ball is a glowing pearl sent by the gods, but the boys are skeptical after it fails the test. Since none of their other family members are able to offer any more insight, the three boys trek to the faraway monastery to consult the wise lamas. (First Run Features)

The shepherd Gombo lives with his wife, three children and grandmother in a tent on the Mongolian steppe. They are pleased with their rustic conditions, until a Russian truck driver, Serguei, gets stuck with his truck nearby. The cultural gap between Gombo and Serguie seems invincible. But maybe they can learn a few things from each other? (imdb)