In the Venice premiere of Mongolia, “To Kill a Mongolian Horse,” it takes a while to become a hero. Especially the kind that impresses audiences at popular horse shows.

“I’m a local — I grew up on this land. Still, I get emotional when I watch these shows. They’re amazing, but after a while I started paying attention to the performers,” first-time director Jiang Xiaoxuan tells Variety.

Intrigued, she finally went backstage.

"They had to dress up and put on all that makeup to become heroic characters. It doesn't just happen. It takes time to put on the 'armor.' Even with Marvel superheroes, you see their 'normal' side and you see them in costume. But how do they put it on?" Jiang says.