Flying colors
Documentary focuses on hues that inspire traditional craftsmanship, Fang Aiqing reports.


At Palgon county, Nagchu city of the Xizang autonomous region, the production team recorded how young Tibetan woman Padma Dekyi — living at an altitude of around 5,000 meters under the scorching sun — makes this sunblock blush using traditional techniques.
After extracting butter and cheese curds from fresh milk, she continues to boil the residue for four hours until the liquid transforms into a sticky, ocher-colored paste.
In front of the camera, Padma Dekyi shares her creation with friends. Some delicately dot blush drops on their faces in patterns they design themselves, while others simply blend the cream smoothly across their foreheads and cheeks.
"The world of a shepherdess was limited in the past. I wonder if this color brings them the joy of creating, making them into a slightly different version of themselves," chief director Chen Xiaoqing narrates in the documentary.