Canadian Premiere
Samgyi (Tsering Yangkyi) is making a film about her childhood; in particular, an embarrassing and shameful act of juvenile theft she committed near the end of elementary school. While working through her childhood memories and tortured conscience, her father, Norbu (Norbu Tsering), hovers around the periphery, worried that his daughter hasn’t yet established herself in a profession.
Jumping between present and past — with young Samgyi played by Tsekyl Metok and her father played by Tubdain Jigme — writer-director Kangdrun carefully contrasts settings and performances, crafting a work about memory, morality, and the urge to create. Linka Linka begins casually, but its unassuming presentation belies an ambitious formal strategy and a provocative approach to cinematic fiction. Kangdrun is gentle in her approach, but she’s an astute moralist; she holds her characters accountable, without foreclosing sympathy. This is a humane, intelligent work that augurs well for the future of its maker.
Firebird Award, Fipresci Prize: Young Cinema Competition, Hong Kong 2026
Tsering Yangkyi, Tsekyi Metok, Tangsang Lhamo, Dechen Banzom, Norbu Tsering, Tubdain Jigme
China
2025
In Tibetan and Mandarin with English subtitles
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Credits & Director
Producer
Zhang Qianqian, Liang Ying
Screenwriter
Kangdrun
Cinematography
Li Siwei, Tashi Namgyal
Editor
Liu Xinzhu
Production Design
Dram Dui
Original Music
Wang Chuan
Kangdrun
Kangdrun, born 1995, is a Lhasa-based Tibetan screenwriter and director. Her work often portrays Lhasa’s younger generation and subcultural communities with a delicate touch. Her short film Orlo with Karma was selected for the FIRST Film Festival and Vancouver International Film Festival in 2025, and her debut feature Linka Linka was selected for the Asian Future competition at the 2026 Tokyo International Film Festival.
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