THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG
Mongolia, 2005, 93 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Byambasuren Davaa.
Anyone who sees this film will be very satisfied. It can be described as a beautiful and humane film.
And it comes from a little known country, Mongolia.
To go back one step. Two years ago, another small film from Mongolia won over the hearts of audiences around the world. It had the unlikely title of The Story of the Weeping Camel. Not only did it have box office success, it won many awards, including a SIGNIS award (from the World Catholic Association for Communication) and was nominated for an Oscar. It was the work of a young woman from Mongolia, Byambasuren Davaa.
Audiences were amazed by her picture of life out in the steppes, charmed by the story of the animals and the care for them, especially the plight of the foal that was rejected by its mother, and intrigued by a nomad way of life that had to come to terms with the 21st century and its technology.
As might be expected, some of these themes are on screen with the Yellow Dog. They are just as satisfyingly presented. And, once again, the film has been honoured with awards (including another SIGNIS award).
This time the focus is more on the human family. In fact, it is an actual family that we watch, the Batchuluun family, goat and cattle herders who move around the country but who settle for the summer in a luxuriant valley. There are father and mother, two little girls, aged about six and four and a baby boy, a toddler. And the Yellow Dog? One day the oldest girl is out collecting dung for the fires and comes across the cave where the dog is hiding. She loves the dog instantly but her father does not want it in the camp. (The audience all want the dog to stay.)
The delight of the film is watching the family in close up. The father is a good man, loving and caring and a hard worker. The mother is also loving and diligent in keeping the family fed and sheltered. But, it is the naturalness of the children that will charm audiences. The behaviour of the children, the ease with which they play together, show their love for one another.
While there is a basic narrative about the family, the tending of the herds, the father’s visit to the city to sell goat skins and buy supplies (including a pink toy dog which winds up and barks and a plastic saucepan which, sadly, melts in the boiling water), and about the daily chores, there is a documentary-like quality to the attention to detail.
One of the intriguing aspects of this nomad life is the quite large and even lavish tent that the family lives in. Even more intriguing is the taking down of the tent which we watch with rapt attention. It is all methodically done, piece by piece, and packed on carts drawn by oxen. As the family head off, a car with loud speaker drives past announcing the coming elections and urging everyone to vote. A reminder of a different world from that of the nomads.
There is a mini-drama at the end as the baby gets out of its box and wanders off without his parents realising it. When the father hurries back, he finds that the Yellow Dog that they have left behind has protected the little boy from some circling and feeding vultures. Needless to say, the Yellow Dog shares in the happy ending to a beautiful and satisfying glimpse of the best of human nature.
