The film features intimate portraits of various ethnic groups, including the Bai, Naxi, Yi, Dai, and Tibetan peoples, showcasing their distinct customs, religious practices, festivals, and interactions with the rapidly changing world around them. Musorrafiti and Damiani’s camera captures the breathtaking beauty of Yunnan’s natural scenery, providing a rich visual backdrop for the human stories that unfold.
“South of Clouds (A Sud Delle Nuvole)” is a documentary film by Dominique Musorrafiti and Matteo Damiani that offers a captivating glimpse into the diverse ethnic minorities of Yunnan Province, China. Filmed in 2002, the documentary explores the unique cultural traditions, daily lives, and stunning landscapes of this region, often referred to as the “land south of the clouds.”
Rather than simply documenting traditions, “South of Clouds” captures the dynamic interplay between ancient customs and the forces of modernization, revealing how communities navigate these changes.
Related articles: Yunnan guide, Dali guide, Nujiang guide, Lijiang guide, Honghe guide
The documentary is available in a newly remastered version.
The documentary shows, without commenting, a China-linked to ancient traditions, which nowadays struggles to compete with the rhythm of modern life: villages, customs, music, and lifestyles of the minorities Bai, Lisu, Nusu, Miao, Dai, Hani, Naxi, Yi, and Hui, before the advent of Chinese mass tourism and the exodus of young people to the metropolis in search of a job opportunity.
The rhythms of life of minorities were still strongly linked to the cycles of nature.
The documentary was shot in the counties of Nujiang (Gongshan, Bingzhongluo), Lijiang, Dali, and Honghe (Yangshuo and surrounding area).
Production: CinaOggi | China-underground
A documentary by Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
Soundtrack: Felix l’Amour, Makoto Kawabata, Acid Mothers Temple.
Year: 2002, remastered 2019
Dominique Musorrafiti and Matteo Damiani are the founders of china-underground.com and cinaoggi.it.
Topic: Yunnan documentary, documentary about Yunnan ethnic minorities
