The Botanist
China | 2025 | 96 min | Drama | Kazakh / Mandrain Chinese
Director: JING Yi
Screening Time：10/17/2025
7:30pm - 9:06pm
1st. Feature
LA Premiere
Synopsis:
Set in a remote village in Xinjiang, China, THE BOTANIST follows a young Kazakh boy named Arsin, who finds solace in the company of plants. He soon meets Meiyu, a spirited Han girl whose unpredictable nature reminds him of a rare, otherworldly plant. As their friendship blossoms, it deepens into a delicate, dreamlike allegory that blurs the lines between reality and the enchanting world of botany.
*Validated parking by the theater at the Trader Joe, 9290 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Trailer
Film Still
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About The Director
JING Yi
Jing Yi, born in 1994 and raised in Xinjiang, is a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy. His debut feature film, THE BOTANIST, was selected as an official project at the Asian Project Market 2023, where it won the New Horse Award. The film also received post-production funding from the Doha Film Institute Grants Programme 2024 Spring session. It will celebrate its world premiere at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival in the Generation Kplus Competition.
He has previously written and directed several short films, often exploring the inner worlds of minority groups in contemporary China.
Director's Statements
The story takes place in a forgotten valley village on the northern border of Xinjiang, China. The entire film features non-actors, a first person perspective, and a visual presentation that blends documentary with fiction, all attempting to evoke an alternative reality.
The Kazakh-ethnicity people, as a nomadic group, believe that the souls of the deceased dwell in the grass. If the ultimate belonging of those living on the border is to peacefully reside in the world of plants, then my original intention of making this film is to give my simple blessing to the forgotten people and land, the departed people and events.
With regards to spatio-temporality, I want to create a fantasy-like world in which plants and human beings are interconnected and inseparable. The Kazakh boy’s nomadic memories of maternal grandpa, uncle and cousin are revived in different stages of his eternal life. These memories bridge the communication gap between the boy and girl, and plants are the soul oftheir relationship. Human beings long for eternal love just like the way plants have great passion for seasonal changes.