Dir. Petr Lom, 2006, 76 min.

A group of Uyghur children living in an orphanage in Xinjiang, China pursue their dream of learning the important tradition of tight-rope walking. Illustrating the literal ups and downs of the children’s attempts at learning this craft, the film also explores tight-rope walking as a metaphor for the precarious balance the Uyghur people must strike between their Muslim faith and the communist state’s severe restrictions on their religion.  

Film to be followed by discussion with Rebecca Clothey, Associate Professor of Education, Drexel University.

Presented by Penn Museum and cosponsored by Penn's Center for East Asian Studies; Center for Experimental Ethnography; Cinema and Media Studies Program; and Wolf Humanities Center.