This "narrative documentary" is set in 2002 in southern Mongolia in the Gobi Desert. It follows a nomadic extended family of about four generations who herd sheep and raise camels.
The film introduces us a bit to the culture and some folk myths about the camel's place in the world. We see everyday life with the animals in the family yurts. When camel calving season comes in springtime, one mother rejects her rare white baby after a difficult birth (shown in some detail).
The film then turns to the efforts of the family to get the mother to accept the baby. These include rituals led by Buddhist lamas. Finally, two sons are sent to the nearest "city" to find a music teacher who can use a traditional method of music using a two-string morin khuur. The impact of the wind on the morin khuur and the instrumental music combined with the singing voice of a young mother is astounding. The constant baying of the camels is also striking.
Although much of the documentary is staged, it is rooted in local culture and seems authentic. There is no narration, and the limited conversation sometimes seems slightly stilted, at least in the subtitles. The "weeping" of the camel to fulfill tradition seems forced. Nonetheless, the story is powerful and well done.
The film introduces us a bit to the culture and some folk myths about the camel's place in the world. We see everyday life with the animals in the family yurts. When camel calving season comes in springtime, one mother rejects her rare white baby after a difficult birth (shown in some detail).
The film then turns to the efforts of the family to get the mother to accept the baby. These include rituals led by Buddhist lamas. Finally, two sons are sent to the nearest "city" to find a music teacher who can use a traditional method of music using a two-string morin khuur. The impact of the wind on the morin khuur and the instrumental music combined with the singing voice of a young mother is astounding. The constant baying of the camels is also striking.
Although much of the documentary is staged, it is rooted in local culture and seems authentic. There is no narration, and the limited conversation sometimes seems slightly stilted, at least in the subtitles. The "weeping" of the camel to fulfill tradition seems forced. Nonetheless, the story is powerful and well done.