Xing Yan For the record, Kekexili is part of Qinghai Province, not Tibet!There are heaps of Tibetan ethnic minorities in Qinghai Province and Gansu Province.The poachers mostly Hui Muslim from Hualong , Qinghai in which has its reputation for illegally manufacturing guns and give a headache to Chinese government . And the "breathtaking scenery" can be spotted in most provinces in western China (Qinghai, Gansu, Xinjiang,etc.),not only Tibet. Why would some hypocrites always set their mind on Tibet . Spare your worthless prepossession, leave Tibet alone, then you can truly understand this movie. All in all, it is a good movie. Simple, to the point , ruthless.The patrolmen are respectably stupid, yet exactly this Stu**NE*s has made this movie. But i have to say nothing important than human life! Riti is failed as leader and protector, he shouldn't rick bothers life when he clearly know they are outnumbered and ill-equipped. I feel sorry for the human more than animals. People who living in that area living a harsh life that they didn't create in the first place, it is basically desert due to the mother nature. Doesn't matter how you animal protector* thinks, it won't work for this situation as most of the poachers and ski8ners had no choice, they need to survive. The only measure to protect the rare animal in Tibetan plateau is to protect human, improve their living condition! Human- oriented principle is essential. Human there are struggling to survive, people gotta eat. If they can live a life with warmth and fullness, they will leave the animal alone.After all who would want to risk their lives of getting shot for smuggling animal fur?

Tafelberg If you have a taste for something non-Hollywood, and a liking for vast barren spaces, Kekexili (pronounced Cuca Seely) is highly recommended.It is part of the Tibetan high plateau, and the antelope on it have been poached almost to extinction. The patrol, all unofficial volunteers in 4x4s, track the poachers across the arid plains and snow-dusted mountains almost to the point of insanity. It's like an old- fashioned cowboy movie, with different scenery and a different flavor. Based on real events, it is very professionally done and holds one's interest right to the end. In Tibetan and Chinese with English subtitles.

gradyharp 'Kekelixi' ('Mountain Patrol') is one of those quiet, quasi-documentary films that now and then rises out of nowhere and has such an impact on the viewer that it has the potential for creating some global change action. Written and directed by Chuan Lu from China and sponsored in part by National Geographic the film was distributed as 'travel/foreign places/environmental issues' product, and while it satisfies those designations, it resonates as a story that is not only based on fact, but one that opens our eyes to another way of life in a very remote area. The effect is stunning.A journalist from Beijing - Ga Yu (Zhang Lei) - travels to Tibet to investigate the poaching of Tibetan antelope and the group of unpaid citizens committed to eradicating the poachers and saving their beloved antelope. The leader of the mountain patrol is Ri Tai (Duobuji) and he has gathered devoted men who spend their lives selflessly searching for the elusive poachers. Ga Yu goes along for the search, camera in hand, capturing the magnificence of the mountains of Tibet, the men's camaraderie and commitment to their mission, and the fields of antelope carcasses left behind by the poachers whose only concern is to skin the antelope for their pelts of luxurious wool for the world market. The patrol encounters endless problems with their equipment, food supplies, loss of men to the poachers' guns, and finally capture a group of men (a family) who serve as skinners for the pelts. Ri Tai attempts to remain fair and non-violent, but his attempts are constantly thwarted. Ga Yu changes from a journalist role to a committed hunter and his relationship with Ri Tai and the other patrolmen is exceedingly touching. The ending of the film is as quiet as the Tibetan landscape and equally as impactful.The cast is not known to this viewer, but it is difficult to imagine that Duobuji and Zhang Lei are amateur actors, so profoundly moving are their performances. The haunting music by Lao Zai and the breathtaking cinematography by Yu Cao support Chuan Lu's film. This art piece is excellent on many levels and is one that deserves a large audience. Highly recommended.

swcheese While I know I am biased and I will explain why, I still feel I should write and try and express the depth of feeling I have for this film.My brother, Alex Graf was a production manager for Columbia Tri-star Asia. He was returning from the filming location in western China when he was killed in a vehicle accident.OK, now you know why I am biased towards this film. That being said, this is a very powerful, visceral film. It is definitely not a feel good film and is, at times very hard to watch. The setting is in the western Chinese high desert. To describe the scenery as beautiful, breathtaking and desolate would be to massively understate it. What an incredibly vast, unforgiving, yet hauntingly mesmerizing landscape, and Lu Chuan takes full advantage of this. One aspect of the film that is unexpected, and demonstrates Lu Chuan's mastery of film making is that you expect to despise the poachers but somehow you end up understanding their plight as much as that of the patrol. If what I have written here still doesn't move you to see this film then see the film as see for yourself you will not be disappointed. Andrew Graf