In a mountainous, subtropical part of rural China, middle-aged doctor Chen (Yongzhong Chen) has become fond of his mistreated nephew Wei Wei (Feiyang Luo). When Wei Wei’s father offloads (or possibly sells) the child to someone in another village, Chen goes to search for him.

That’s the backbone plot of poet-turned-director Bi Gan’s debut, but the scenes feel more like loosely connected verses about trains, memory and human connections. The spectacular cinematography of Tianxing Wang shifts gears midway through, as Bi moves from simple, stable takes to a 40-minute-long tracking shot depicting Chen’s journey up a mountain to find Wei Wei.

“Kaili Blues” has the kitchen-sink feel of a new director eager to try every art-film technique in the book, but the film’s beauty and inventiveness are riveting.