In Lanzhou, Gansu, cars can often be seen almost haphazardly all over the roads, hidden along the Yellow River is the Sheepskin raft. As its name suggests, this unconventional transport is made out of the sheep’s skin.
How is it possible that that one uses the sheep’s skin to travel across the Yellow River? How does it look? How is it even made? These are the questions that are answered in Mr Ma.
Mr Ma tells the story of the last Sheepskin raft craftsman, Ma Jianhua. Through his eyes, we learn about the history of the sheepskin raft, and how Lanzhou and the Yellow River has changed over the years. Through his years of experience and insight, we see his hopes and fears for the future. In Mr Ma, we see the family (both immediate and extended) and the nation through the eyes of an individual.