In collaboration with the Oxford China Centre, St John’s College is delighted to host the UK premiere of To Kill a Mongolian Horse – recipient of the Authors Under 40 Award for Best Directing and Screenwriting at the 2024 Venice Film Festival. Presented as part of the China Studies Seminar Series, the event seeks to draw global attention to the social challenges faced in China’s grassland regions through the expressive power of visual art.

The film follows Saina, a Mongolian herdsman navigating the brutal winter grasslands by day and performing in a horseback stunt show by night. As he strives to care for his family and hold onto his cultural roots, the story reveals the tensions between tradition and modernity, and the complexities of rural identity, through the lens of a female director.

With support from the St John’s College Small Arts Grant and the Oxford China Centre, we’re honoured to welcome Director Xiaoxuan Jiang in person for the event. The evening begins with a drinks reception in the Garden Quad Reception Room at 17:30, followed by the screening (98 minutes). Afterwards, stay for a Q&A session with the Director, moderated by Professor Anna Lora-Wainwright from the School of Geography and the Environment and the School of Global and Area Studies.