For Youbin Gong, growing up in rural China comes with a lot of difficulty. Estranged from his mother at an early age, he is in the process of coming of age amidst poor circumstances. His solace and refuge comes by way of poetry. As we observe him learning the artform in his village school, we see how language has the power to contextualize the world around him. Filmmaker Deming Chen worked for several years to bring Gong’s story to life, offering up gorgeous cinematography and storytelling that gives voice to a young man’s transition from childhood to facing the complicated realities of an adult life. Amid the mountains of Hunan, we get intimate access to the poetry of a new generation, which is reflective of both their uncertainty about the future and of some of the most pivotal moments in their young lives to date.