Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

Gou-ichi Takata (Ken Takakura), a Japanese fisherman, is called to a hospital by his daughter-in-law Rie (Shinobu Terajima), who tells him the son he hasn't spoken to in years has terminal cancer. His son will not see him, so Takata sets out for China, carrying a promise he can still keep. Zhang Yimou meets him with a patient, steady camera that follows the old man's slow, stubborn progress.