Isa Yasan is one of the two Uyghurs children who star in Lina Wang’s documentary drama film, “A First Farewell” (2018).

Isa Yasan

Growing up in a tiny village in Xinjiang, China, Isa (Isa Yasan) and Kalbinur (Kalbinur Rahmati) have known each other their entire lives. Living in a poor, rural area, these two elementary school friends carry a weight of responsibility no child should ever have to bear, particularly Isa.

A sweet boy with a big heart, Isa carries quite the load for one so young. A decent student, Isa does his best to keep up with his school work while also helping out on his parent’s small farm. In addition to his daily chores, Isa is responsible for caring for his deaf, nonverbal mother, and often has to go looking for her, as she has a tendency to wander off. Kalbinur, on the other hand, is an enthusiastic, carefree spirit who struggles to live up to the expectations of her strict teachers and disapproving mother. Not the best student, Kalbinur struggles to keep up with her studies, especially when it comes to learning Mandarin. Unable to live up to the expectations of the adults in her life, Kalbinur often turns to her younger brother for comfort.

As Uyghurs children, Isa and Kalbinur are forced to make a number of farewells as the pressure to assimilate into a more widely accepted way of life mounts. With the difficulties of life only increasing as they get older, how will these two young people fare in the years ahead?

A stirring glimpse into the lives of one of China’s often overlooked minority groups, “A First Farewell” is an award-winning 2018 Chinese drama documentary film directed by Lina Wang.

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