: Amidst the "mournful air" of the landscape, the film captures the "inevitable end of childhood" as the boys face disillusionment and betrayal.
: By focusing on the Yugur people (a small subset of the Uyghur minority), Li Ruijun highlights the disappearance of nomadic traditions and languages. River Road - ainda sem legenda
Their path follows a , once a life-giving "River Road" that supported lush grasslands but is now a barren wasteland of dust and sand. Along the way, the brothers must navigate not only the harsh physical landscape but also their own strained relationship, eventually uncovering a heartbreaking truth: their father has abandoned traditional herding for a desperate, illegal gold-panning operation. Themes and Cinematic Style : Amidst the "mournful air" of the landscape,
: Critics have praised the "masterfully lensed" nomadic road movie for its epic scale, contrasting the smallness of the children against the vast, unforgiving Gansu desert. Along the way, the brothers must navigate not