THE STORY OF THE WEEPING CAMEL (INGEN NUMSIL)

Germany, 2003, 90 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni.

The Story of the Weeping Camel is a documentary drama photographed in Southern Mongolia. The director came from this part of the world and wanted to present the life of the nomads in the Gobi Desert. While he grew up in the city, his grandparents led the kind of life that is depicted in the film. The film focuses on a family, their relationships, the different generations, the wisdom of the grandparents, the practicalities of the parents, the portrait of two young brothers and their very little sister. The film's details of life in the home, with the detail of the interiors of the tent home, are often quite funny and moving. The film focuses also on the camels, the grandfather beginning with a story about camels originally having antlers as a gift from God, lending them to the envious deer, who went off and never returned, leaving the camels perpetually staring into the distance. The film focuses on a very difficult birth by a camel, the mother's disdain for her young, the desperation of the young colt to feed from his mother. The family send the young boys into the town to bring a violinist to play a ritual musical soothing for the camel - which is effective. The film also shows the young boys interested in city life, in television - and the aftermath of the film with their setting up a satellite dish outside their tent. The film was the official Mongolian entry for the Oscar nominations for best foreign language film.

1. The impact of the film? The documentary nature of the portrait of life in Mongolia? The drama of the family, of the camel and the difficult birth?

2. The landscapes of the Gobi Desert, the seasons, the sandstorms? The life of the families in the desert, the tents? The interiors with carpets and hangings, candles? Yet a lavish look and comfortable surroundings? The musical score?

3. The focus on the grandfather, his story of the camel and the antlers and the deer? The picture of the camels, grazing, the farmers riding them? The physical nature of the camels, the getting of wool from their beards? The weaving of the wool? The camels giving birth, the healthy colt? The difficult birth, the white colt?

4. The focus of the story on the camel, the emotional response to the mother rejecting the colt after the difficult birth? The colt and its need for milk, going to its mother, her kicking it away? Her walking away? The music ritual, the soothing of the mother, the colt getting the milk? A future?

5. The grandparent generation, their experience and wisdom, genial? The parent generation, the practical things with the flocks, in the house, feeding and washing the children, the communal meals? The boys, their playing games? The grandparents and their cards?

6. The boys going into the town, riding the camels, the food on the way, the storm? The markets, searching for the batteries for Grandfather's radio? The friends, going to the music school, the children rehearsing the dancing, the violinists and pianists?

7. The emotional warmth within the family? An old way of life? The change with so many going to the city? The opportunity for the documentarists to capture a way of life that will pass - as symbolised by the getting of the satellite dish and the delight of the children watching television?