Tharlo is an orphan. Now grown up, he makes a living as a sheep herder in the village. He has grown a ponytail, so people simply call him “Ponytail”, since nobody remembers his real name anyway. Tharlo has a remarkable memory. He remembers so many things, except his own name. He is now in his forties, and he has yet to have his first woman. Now Tharlo goes to town to take a photo for his identity card. He meets a girl in the barber’s shop who changes the course of his life. He embarks on the journey to find his true self. He sells all his sheep and those entrusted by other villagers to him for care, and decides to use the money to go out into the world with the girl, only to find himself being deceived and cheated by her. Ironically, in his journey of self-discovery, Tharlo has lost his sense of self. As he witnesses in the mirror his ponytail being cut off and leaving him bald, he can no longer see himself as a man with a history that he recognizes.
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Cast
8 people
Pema Tseden Director · Lü Songye Cinematographer Liao Ching-sung Editor
Worldwide gross $161K · United States release September 28, 2016 · Produced in China
Box office
Worldwide gross
$161,229
Production
China
Produced in
Languages
Original title
ཐར་ལོ།
Original language
Tibetan
Spoken on screen
Chinese · Tibetan
Release dates
Italy · September 4, 2015
Theatrical
United States · September 28, 2016
Theatrical · MoMA; Icarus Films / dGenerate Films
Australia
June 8, 2016 · Sydney Film Festival
Canada
September 29, 2015 · Vancouver International Film Festival
China
December 9, 2016 · limited
France
January 3, 2018
Germany
October 2, 2016 · Hamburg Film Festival
Hong Kong SAR China
October 23, 2016 · Hong Kong Asia Film Festival
Netherlands
October 2, 2016 · Buddhist Film Festival Europe
Poland
November 17, 2016 · Five Flavours Film Festival
South Korea
October 2, 2015 · Busan International Film Festival
Sweden
February 5, 2016 · Göteborg Film Festival
Taiwan
November 15, 2015 · Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
United Kingdom
September 30, 2016
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Some details come from TheTVDB.