Directed by Wei Shujun, Striding Into the Wind tells the story of Kun (Zheng Yingchen), a young man who can’t seem to get anything right. Whether it’s his last year of film school, his relationship with his girlfriend or his job, Kun has this ability to focus on anyone else. When he finally gets his drivers licence, he immediately looks for a car to help him get around and settles on the cheapest wreck that he can find. While it may not look like much, this beat-up Jeep Cherokee becomes of immense importance to him and may hold the key to his future.

With its emphasis on Kun’s emotional journey, Striding becomes a unique coming-of-age tale. In many ways, it’s appropriate that Kun’s greatest treasure is his car. Clinging to his beloved Jeep, it comes to represent the aimlessness of his approach to his life. Often keeping the camera within the limited view of his vehicle, Shujun highlights the immediacy of Kun’s vision and the small size of his world. Like the darkness of the road ahead of him, Kun’s vision for his own future remains highly limited.

As Kun ebbs and flows through a world that seems to have no place for him, neither does he have any firm grounding from which to begin his life. Moving from place to place, there is a freedom about him but also a sense of restlessness as well. We understand that Kun wants to be seen for his undeniable talent yet he struggles to find ‘his place’ in a system that demands that he play by their rules. For him, hope remains elusive yet not impossible. Though the Wind may be against him, Kun’s willingness to take risks serves a as a reminder that hope lies when we keep Striding forward.