Sid, the rebellious son of Kwan, a savage Hong Kong triad boss, escapes to Taiwan upon enraging his father's adversary, a powerful underground business leader. Hiding out in the mountains, Sid encounters a group of Zen drummers. Their mesmerizing art, rigorous training, and austere way of life pique the hostile urban young man's interest and he asks to join the group. Although Sid despises his father, he is turning out to be a younger version of...

Takada is an aging Japanese fisherman who has been estranged from his son for many years. When the son is diagnosed with terminal cancer his daughter-in-law, Rie, summons him to the hospital. When his son refuses to see him, Rie gives him a videotape about the work his son was doing on a documentary film in a remote region of China's Yunnan province. Still troubled by the relationship, Takada decides to go to China and complete his son's work in part...