HYAZGAR/ DESERT DREAM
China/Mongolia, 2007, 123 minutes, Colour.
Osor Bat- Ulzii, Suh Jung, Shin Dongho.
Directed by Zhang Lu.
Desert Dreams is set in the deserts of Mongolia where a lone man does battle against the elements by planting trees to save the steppes (even though the wind continually uprooted them). This terrain has been made famous by The Story of the Weeping Camel and the Cave of the Yellow Dog.
This time the man’s family goes to Ulan Bator for treatment for the little daughter’s hearing problems, leaving the man alone – but only for a short time as a mother and son, refugees from North Korea, turn up and begin to share the isolated life. There is plenty of incident, but on a small scale in the desert region and with the woman and her son. Eventually, the man joins his family in the city and the Koreans have to make a decision as to whether they will stay or move on.
This is one of those films, shot in beautifully exotic landscapes, that requires patience and a capacity for contemplation of people and issues.
1. A Chinese film, the Mongolian settings, the Chinese interests, Mongolian interests? The refugees from Korea and the Korean themes?
2. The location photography in desert Mongolia? The sands and the encroaching desert? The contrast with the fertile fields? The village being gradually deserted? The final scenes in Ulan-Bator? The contrast of the modern Mongolian capital, streets, buildings? The musical score?
3. The title: Desert Dream, the possibilities of reclaiming the desert by planting the trees? Hungai and his mission? The opening of the film with the planting of the trees – then the winds, the desert? Hungai and his continual replanting?
4. The portrait of Hungai and his family? Their large tent in the desert? The interiors? Hungai and his work, commitment to saving the Steppes? His relationship with his wife, his deaf daughter? His sexual advances and his wife’s resistance? Her concern about their daughter? The decision to go to the city, his reluctance, the wife taking the daughter for the cure? His remaining alone, drinking? The background of the herds, the cattle, the milking, the horses?
5. The Korean refugees, the mother and son? Their wandering? Their meeting Hungai? Their not being able to communicate by language? His taking them in? The hospitality, their wariness? The boy testing the food, the mother gradually eating? Life with Hungai? The animals, the milking? The boy and his drawing? The background of their having to leave Korea – talk of a plague?
6. The life out of the village, in the desert? The work, the routines, the wife going for a walk in the night, naked? Hungai and his advances, her rejecting him? Her killing the calf? Her assisting in the birth of the calf? Her relationship with her son? The visitors? The hunters? The man from the Mongolian force, her watching the tanks go by? His visits, singing, friendship with her son? His sexual advances, her resistance, her acceptance, his later visits? The son and his reaction, getting the rifle and his hurrying away?
7. Life in the village, the shops, Hungai and his going to buy things? The glimpses of the film crew and their filming in Mongolia – a Korean crew? The woman and her watching?
8. The hunters, offering to buy the Koreans, Hungai sending them away? Their giving him the live hares?
9. Hungai, feeling alone? His decision to go to the city? The village man in the city, the streets, seeing his daughter playing? Her being cured? Meeting his wife, the domestic scenes in the apartment? His going to drink in the bar? The future for his wife and daughter – optimistic? The future for Hungai – pessimistic?
10. The mother and son, the discussions about whether they should stay or not, the planting of the trees, the burning of the dead trees? Moving on?
11. The story of people on the move, having to flee from difficulties? Wanting to stay but the desert encroaching?
12. The Chinese and Korean backgrounds, the mention of the Dalai Lama? The television and radio? The political situation in North Korea, the details about the testing of the missiles? The final sequences of the desert, the panning, the bridge?
13. A contemplative glimpse of Mongolia and Mongolian life? Strangers and refugees? The ecological message – and the changing of landscapes into desert?
