Sunday, October 15, 2006

The cave of the yellow dog

A lovely, lovely heart warming film.
A Mongolian nomad family find themselves in disagreement when the oldest daughter, Nansal, finds a small dog and brings it home. Believing that it is responsible for attacking his sheep, her father refuses to allow her to keep it. When the family move on, Nansal is left with the dilemma of whether to defy her father or take Zochor (or 'Spot' in English) with them. Oscar- nominated director Byambasuren's follow up to the hugely successful The Story of the Weeping Camel is a thought provoking mix of documentary and drama. Featuring a real life family and following much of their daily existence, this is combined with a narrative structure that acts as a framework for the film. The naturalistic pace reflects the quiet, often uneventful world that the family inhabit but this underlines a still beauty that is realised throughout.