The Botanist
Description
The wind bellows and glides across golden blades of grass in the sun-drenched valleys of Xinjiang, on the northern border between Kazakhstan and China. Arsin is a young Kazakh boy with a deep passion for the flora and fauna around him, giving keen attention to plants and all of their beguiling details. When he meets Meiyu, a spirited Han Chinese girl, she evokes the same feelings of enchantment that he experiences with the botanical beauty that surrounds him. What unfolds between Arsin and Meiyu is a magical-realist fantasy that speaks volumes about our ephemeral and ethereal ties to our wondrous world. In his directorial debut, Jing Yi engages a cast of non-actors and a real-world setting to produce a spellbinding representation of a forgotten land and its people, whose deep connection with nature offers meaningful lessons to live by. —Jordan Klein
A native of Xinjiang, China, and a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, Jing Yi made several short films before embarking on his first feature, The Botanist. While still in development, the film won the New Horse Award at the 2023 Asian Project Market. Upon its premiere at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, the film captured the Crystal Bear for Generation Kplus – Best Film.
Film Details
LanguageKazakh, Mandarin
Original Language TitleZhi Wu Xue Jia
Year2025
Runtime96
CountryChina
DirectorJing Yi
ProducerZuolong Shan, Qi Ai
Executive ProducerShen Morton, Jianhao Andy An, Wang Bo, Li Tingwei, Wang Hengming
WriterJing Yi
EditorLiu Yaonan
CinematographerLi Vanon
MusicPeyman Yazdanian
CastYesl Jahseleh, Ren Zihan, Jalen Nurdaolet
Closed CaptionsClosed Captions are not currently confirmed for this film
Audio DescriptionAudio Descriptions are not currently confirmed for this film
American Sign Language (ASL) InterpretationAmerican Sign Language Interpretation is not currently scheduled for this film
