"For example, nearly everyone from the Uygur ethnic group is good at singing and dancing," he adds. "The way the women dance shows their elegant and unfolding posture, and the way the men dance is more robust and energetic.

"Moreover, Kazak folk songs have a high pitch and sound melodious, especially when accompanied by dongbula, a traditional musical instrument of the ethnic group."

Crew members considered how to integrate the music with the plot. "If we focused only on the film's story, then the music would be ignored, but if we paid too much attention to the expression of the music, the story would not be attractive enough," recalls Li Mushi, the film's scriptwriter.

As a result, Li used music to tell stories, making the music part of the plot.