Song of ascension
Zeirui(Gloria) Huang, Director & Producer
Yingxuan(Carol) Lee, Shooting assistant & Event Planner
Xinjiang and Chengdu, China, 2023 - 2024
"Best Short Documentary" at the 2nd SHISW Film Festival (2024.06)
Shortlisted for the 9th Durgapur International Film Festival (2024.09)
Our Story
The documentary depicts the ups and downs of Salman, a Tajik rapper from Xinjiang who moves to big cities in pursuit of his dreams.
The Tajik people are a minority living on a high plateau in Xinjiang Province, with only a few thousand members. They speak a rare language with no written form, so their history has been passed down only through storytelling. Salman, a rising star among the youth, blends traditional folk music with Gen Z rap. His story reflects the clash between heritage and mainstream culture, as well as the struggle to maintain one’s identity.
I became curious about filming this documentary because I also come from a minority and have loved music since childhood. I’m part of the Zhuang people, China’s largest ethnic minority. We have our own language and rich cultural traditions. But with the development of society, many valuable customs are fading away. Young people move away to chase bigger dreams, often in distant places, yet they still feel closely tied to their roots. Salman’s struggle reflects what many young Chinese go through today, showing how important it is to protect cultural heritage.
In this documentary, we want to show how one person’s story can reveal the wider struggles and hopes of keeping minority cultures alive in a modern world, where the edges of society meet mainstream trends.
Production Gallery
Music Session Deck
Behind the Scenes
