This Film is a Must See.
The Cave of the Yellow Dog
There are no car chases, no murders, no strong language, no sex, no violence, no cliff-hanger and the story has no clever or contrived twist, but this is one of the best films I have seen in a very long time.
It is set in Mongolia, and follows the life of a nomadic family for a short time. The story is told from the point of view of Nansal, the eldest daughter. And it is a simple story of everyday life, but not without a little drama. It starts as she returns from school.
Nansal
finds a puppy in a cave, but her father does not want to keep it as he believes
the dog attracts the wolves that are attacking and killing his sheep. The story gently wends its way to a happy
ending as the family move their home to pastures new.
I won’t tell you anymore of the story otherwise it will be spoilt for you.
The real charm of this film is the recording of a tranquil way of life that is about to be lost forever. The director, Byambasuren, has chosen a real family still living as nomads and has had the confidence and determination not to spoil their performances by making things too contrived. So their performances are convincing, true and not overstated.
Their lifestyle is the real star though. The family live in what looks like a very comfortable, bright and clean Urt, with wonderful, brightly decorated furniture. The family home is centered round the stove.
The stove is fuelled by dried dung and they had a light portable wind turbine. How many of us can boast of doing the same?
One of the most interesting sequences was when the father came back from town. He had been on a trip into town on his motorbike. The town was sufficiently far away that he had to stay over for a couple of days. He brought presents back, and one for the house was a new, plastic colander or ladle, I could not tell which.
The poor old ladle did not last long as it was soon melted on the stove. It was perhaps not rugged enough for the rugged lifestyle of the family and instead designed for a consumer society that wastes materials and accepts goods that are not built to last but to break in order that the suppliers get steady growth.
Don’t
get me wrong, life for this family is no bed of roses. Nansal
spends her school terms away from her family at school in town. They work hard to make a living from a
beautiful but sparse landscape. But they
display great grace and good humour all the while. The children, Nansal the eldest especially, are
given remarkable responsibility for their age, and when they are not quite up
to this there is no great anger when told off.
The family is worried about the future and their way of life, and this
for me is the saddest part of all.
For they possess something that the majority of us have lost. They are at one with their environment, and not destroying it. We should learn from these people whose lifestyle keeps them from the rampant consumerism we suffer from. I hope it can last for them.
My favourite bit is when Nansal, recently returned from her school year, is telling her little sister of the wonders of the “big smoke” and how when there you don’t have to go outside to pee.
Watch this film – it will do you a power of good!
Click here for the "Cave of Yellow Dog" website.
