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Poster for The Horse Thief
Xi'an Film Studio

The Horse Thief

1986 88 min Tibetan
Wubly rating 6.9 IMDb rating 6.8

Devout Buddhists, Norbu and Dolma live with their young son Tashi in a clan in Tibet. Norbu is a highwayman. After Norbu is charged with stealing from the temple, he and his family are banished. Impoverished and marginalized, they can do little when their beloved son becomes ill. Tashi dies of a fever. After a second son is born, Norbu focuses his every action on keeping this child alive, seeking re-admission to the clan for his wife and child, then risking all to save them from isolation and starvation in winter.

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Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.

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Cast

6 people

Tian Zhuangzhuang Director · Rui Zhang Writer

First release January 1, 1986 · Produced in China · Languages Chinese, Tibetan

Production

X

Xi'an Film Studio

Production

China

Produced in

Languages

Original title

盗马贼

Original language

Tibetan

Spoken on screen

Chinese · Tibetan

Release dates

China · January 1, 1986

Theatrical

No release date listed for United States.

Hong Kong SAR China

March 19, 2019 · Theatrical · 電影節

April 3, 2026 · Premiere · Hong Kong International Film Festival

Netherlands

January 30, 1987 · Premiere · Source: MUBI (IFFR)

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