ONE MILE ABOVE/ KORA

China/Taiwan, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Jiayi Du.

Kora/ One Mile Above is a Chinese/ Taiwanese collaboration. It has an interesting background with the traditional enmity between mainland China and Taiwan as well as the situation of Tibet and its being incorporated by China. Perhaps this film indicates some possibilities for collaboration.

The film is about endurance. And the audience experiences something of this endurance as they watch the film. Perhaps they are comfortable in their seats but, if they have done any serious bike-riding, they will actually feel that they are sitting on the bike, pushing hard on the pedals, with the balls of the feet rather than heels, trying to be one with the bike as they move along the roads, but especially as the journey starts to get steeper and steeper, going through the mountains, sometimes freewheeling down hundreds of feet and then climbing again. When the rider skids/falls on the way down, the audience realises that there are dangers in the descents as well as in the ascents.

In Taiwan, a young man dies and his younger brother reads his diary which was put in the coffin at his funeral. He discovers that his brother wanted to cycle to Lhasa. The young man then decides to honour the memory of his brother by undertaking the same journey. He takes his own bike from Taiwan and lands in China and begins a journey of over 2000 km. (On screen, the film continually shows the heights above sea level.)

The film is something like a docudrama, indicating the difficulties of the ride, showing the beauty of the terrain, the growing ruggedness of the mountain ranges, the beauty of the peaks, the vagaries of the weather as it moves into winter. Fortunately for the young man, after being conned about identity cards being necessary, he meets up with a rider who is on a journey each year to improve his luck, wanting to see the peaks of three mountains as the clouds lift. He does not and later suffers a harsh accident in which the student is also involved.

The film also shows something of the hospitality along the way, a kind and welcoming Buddhist woman who provides traditional tea, and a friendly family who have pictures of Jesus, the Sacred Heart and the Virgin Mary on their walls. It introduces us into something of the village life, especially as the children go to school.

One of the drawbacks of the film, dramatically, is that it shows a desperate scene and suddenly cuts much further forward in the plot, for instance, the accident on the mountainside and suddenly the scene shifts to the hospital. This is sometimes dramatically jolting, rather than the pace at which the rest of the film is moving. There also scenes in hospitals and with the police warning the young man about the dangers, truck drivers on the road...

The film will probably appeal to inveterate cyclists who will be identifying all the way from China to Tibet. For less active audiences, it is a great opportunity to see the beautiful countryside, and to experience something of the way of life and the people. (It is not a film that takes up any of the burning political issues of the area, especially that of Tibetan independence.)

1. A drama with a documentary style? Based on a true story?

2. The locations, the opening in Taiwan? The scenery, the atmosphere? The student and the death of his brother? The family in morning, putting the mementos into the coffin, his taking the diary and reading it?

3. The brother and his intention to go to Tibet? Cycling? His motivations? The young man and his taking on the responsibility, to fulfill his brothers destiny?

4. Leaving home, the flight, taking the bicycle? Arriving in China? The preparation for the trip? The con man meeting him, giving him shelter, telling him about the identity card, getting it, the payment, the later explanation that I was not needed? His standing on the bridge, throwing it into the river?

5. The beginning of his journey, the man on the bike, accompanying him, sharing the meal, keeping up with the man? The continued journey, discussions, companionship, growing friendship? Hospitality along the way, across the bridge to the inn, the religious Buddhist lady and her giving the buttermilk tea? Continuing along the road, staying with the family, the catholic imagery and their house? Chasing the young boy, getting accommodation, the friendliness?

6. The difficulties of the cycling, the bike, the flat tire, hills, the steep rides, the quality of the roads, keeping up with the companion? The suddenness of the accident, the crash down the side of the mountain, the student catching the bush, dragging himself to the surface? In hospital? His companion and the injuries? Bad luck?

7. The issue of luck, looking to see the ice cream mountain peaks, the man failing to see them? The student later seeing them?

8. The continuing hazards, the weather, winter coming on, snow? The highways going up and down? The overall views of the twists and turns of the highway? Cutting across the snow?

9. The food poisoning, the young man being found, taken to hospital, the kindly doctor and his help? The role of the police, the warnings?

10. The temptation to give up, his writing in his diary? Making the effort, the encounter with the truck driver, his lying on the road, the anger of the driver, the other man helping?

11. The people in the car, offering the lift, determination to reach Lhasa?

12. Throwing his tent away, walking into the city, the civilization of the top of the Himalayas, the sense of welcome? Previously buying the phone card to contact his family?

13. The effect of showing the number of days and the height levels?

14. The sense of achievement, a spiritual dimension of the journey?

15. The audience feeling as if they had journeyed with the student, along the roads, the range of scenery, the beauty, the ruggedness, the difficulties of riding, the audience feeling that they were on the bike with the student, experiencing the hardships?