Released two years after the death of director Wu Tianming, this Chinese film focuses on the life and trials of You Tianming, a young suona (a kind of double-reed horn) apprentice* who forms his own suona troupe* at a time when the traditions of suona music are declining* in Chinese villages.

    Similar to Wu’s previous film “The King of Masks,” it tells the story of carrying on a cultural tradition. Unlike mask changing, whose top function is to entertain, suona is more associated with ceremonies, and therefore is an important symbol of traditional customs.

    You Tianming, a teen from a rural village in Northwest China, is sent by his father to learn to play the suona with Jiao Sanye in a neighboring village, because suona playing is a respected trade that pays well. Like priests* in some cultures, suona players are indispensable* at weddings and funerals. It’s also a tradition for the head of a suona troupe to choose one pupil to be his successor, who has the honor to learn a tune called “Song of the Phoenix,” only to be played at the funeral of a highly respected person.

    Although another pupil by the name of Lan Yu is more talented, Jiao chooses You to be his successor, because the teacher has faith in You who promises to do his best to keep the suona troupe alive and pass on the art.

    As a grown man, however, You has to face the painful reality that his chosen calling is no longer in tune with a modern, urbanized China.

    In a symbolic scene where tradition is confronted* by new trends, a modern band consisting of a saxphone, guitar and keyboard as well as a singer in a tacky* short skirt is invited to perform at a rich man’s funeral. Young people flock to the band humming along to pop songs, leaving You and his team humiliated*. Gradually, You’s troupe loses members as they seek new lives in cities.

    While those who had really lived in a rural village in the 1970s and 1980s may find the film a sugarcoated dirge* for Chinese villages and their traditions, what really shines is the close bond between You and his father, his teacher and his buddies and how they care for each other.(Debra Li)