The Story of the Weeping Camel
Director Byambasuren Davaa (as of “Cave of the Yellow Dog”) Filmed on location in Gobi desert, Mongolia. 2003 | |||
A window into a different way of life and the universal terrain of the heart. | |||
| This breathtaking blend of documentary and fiction filmmaking provides an unobtrusive glimpse into the relationships, rituals, and livelihood of a three-generation family of nomadic shepherds in the Gobi desert of South Mongolia. It is birthing season for the family’s herd of camels and after several healthy foals are born, the last birth is difficult. With quiet perseverance, the family helps to deliver a rare white colt, which the mother camel quickly rejects and refuses to nurse. With growing concern for the colt’s survival, the family decides to employ a nomadic singing ritual to coax the mother into nurturing her young. They send the two eldest sons on a journey to the nearest village to fetch a musician for the "hoos ritual”. The story unfolds gently, sensitive to the rhythms of desert life while honouring its real-life actors. This modest yet magnificent film of Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, extends beyond the tale of a camel and colt to explore the fragility and beauty of an ancient way of life. Backdrop: A visual impression of the environment in the southern Mongolian Gobi desert is a sandy foreground with tall mountains in the far horizon topped with an endless blue sky. Storms appear with short notice and without consideration of the people inhabiting the desert. Populations in this remote location, where modern technology and monetary systems do not apply, must find alternative means for continued existence. Sheep farming and camel breeding are the main means of trade as the earth is too exhausted to farm. The comfort of continual running water or electricity available from the flip of a switch is something of a fantasy. Despite these hardships, the people of the Gobi desert remain in this harsh environment living by their ancient traditions, which the elderly pass down to younger generations. | |||
| Directors: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni Writers: Byambasuren Davaa, Luigi Falorni, Batbayar Davgadorj Producers: Benigna von Keyserlingk, Claudia Gladziejewski, Evi Stangassinger Real-life actors: Janchiv Ayurzana, Chimed Ohin, Amgaabazar Gonson, Zeveljamz Nyam, Ikhbayar Amgaabazar | |||
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Another review: “Effortlessly blending drama, nature documentary, and ethnographic film, The Story of the Weeping Camel weaves a magical tale about a nomadic Mongolian family who reunite a rejected baby camel with its mother. When a mother camel refuses to sustain her child, the keepers of the camels often reunite them in a ritual with folk music and chanting, the results of which elicit deep emotion--even causing the mother camel to weep real tears. Exploring more than just traditional ritual, this film speaks to the very nature of love--the baby camel cannot survive without his mother, just as no animal or person can.” | |||