Product Description

Amid the sandy desolation of Mongolia's Gobi Desert, a family of nomadic camel herders faces a crisis when one of their animals rejects its white newborn calf, and the herders' two sons must find a musician who will perform a ritual to save the infant. Based on actual events, this charming "narrative documentary" was filmed on location in Asia and makes for wonderful family viewing. 87 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital stereo Surround; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; documentary; photo gallery. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10114 in DVD
• Brand: NEW Line Home Video
• Released on: 2005-01-25
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound, NTSC
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: English
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 87 minutes

Amazon.com
This breathtaking blend of documentary and fiction filmmaking provides an unobtrusive glimpse into the relationships, rituals, and livelihood of a four-generation family of nomadic shepherds in the Gobi desert of South Mongolia. It is birthing season for the family’s herd of camels and after several healthy foals are born, the last birth is difficult. With quiet perseverance, the family helps to deliver a rare white colt, which the mother camel quickly rejects and refuses to nurse. With growing concern for the colt’s survival, the family decides to employ a nomadic singing ritual to coax the mother into nurturing her young. They send the two eldest sons on a journey to the nearest village to fetch a musician for the "hoos ritual." The story unfolds gently, sensitive to the rhythms of desert life while honoring its real-life actors. This modest yet magnificent film is the graduation project of film students Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, extending beyond the tale of a camel and colt to explore the fragility and beauty of an ancient way of life. Rated PG for some mild thematic content. (Ages 8 and older) --Lynn Gibson

From The New Yorker
Set in the Gobi Desert, this film about a family of nomadic herders has a satisfying documentary appeal. The story, about a camel that, after a difficult delivery, refuses to nurse her young colt, and the ageless methods the Mongolian shepherds use to right the situation, is blessedly simple. There's little use of dialogue; instead the filmmakers (two Munich film-school students named Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni) linger on the everyday tending of livestock and the herders' astonishingly calm domestic life. The movie, an authentic and warm experience, details a peacefulness that's purely comforting. In Mongolian. -Bruce Diones
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker