The Cave of the Yellow Dog
Arthouse film set in Mongolia - DVD Review
From the team that brought you The Weeping Camel, tells the story of the Cave of the Yellow Dog.
From Oscar nominated director Byambasuren Davaa (The Weeping Camel) comes a unique blend of documentary and drama set against the lush backdrop of the Mongolian plains. The film follows the everyday life of a real nomadic family.
Using a fable told to her when she was younger, director Davaa tells a story of reincarnation as seen through the eyes of a little girl living her very simple life with her nomadic family in Mongolia. The girl discovers a cavern - and a dog who had been living inside follows the girl back home, prompting her father to worry about the family`s safety.
The girl, of course, has found a new friend and tries desperately to hold onto the dog, much to the chagrin of the rest of the family.
It takes a bit of effort to follow the fly-on-the-wall narrative, but it pays off as the film reaches an intense, unexpected climax.
The film is breathtakingly gorgeous to watch and very much feels like you're almost stepping into the lives of this family and the people on the land. It's wondrous to see how these nomads survive without modern comforts, relying solely on the resources of the land. Interesting, too, to see how they are able to generate an income living so far away from their neighbours.
It was truly a fascinating sequence where the little girl watches her mother make both cheese and dried sausages to sell in the market later that week.
Tartan Video releases Cave of the Yellow Dog with an optional English dubbed track plus a rather fascinating interview with its talented director Byambasuren Davaa.
Davaa admits that he went onto the shoot on the plains of Mongolia without a plan as the family's daily existence is directly determined by the weather. It is near confounding that even the family featured were overall not prompted to change their habits and that the end result is such a magnificent feast for the eyes.
Davaa recalls an incident where the lead little girl Nasaal refused to cooperate with the crew as it seemed she grew tired of having them around her all the time. The crew then had to adjust their 'plan' and ended up shooting some of the beautiful scenery surrounding the family's home.
