The Cave of the Yellow Dog (2005)

Through the lens of a native from Mongolia and the mindful hearts of the people in the story, one is transfixed by the dignity of the this world. As an American, I have never experienced such simple artistry in a film. The children are extraordinary in their candid roles. The natural family dynamics work so much better than most theatrics. It took tremendous courage to follow real people in their daily lives in order to create a story; proving that plot and special effects often get in the way of artistic subtleties.This is a film treasure because it captures the heart in an effort to open a window to a fading way of sustainable life.

The story as such is simple. A Mongolian girl living a nomadic agrarian life with her parents and younger siblings finds a puppy. She wants to keep it as a pet and her Father wants it to go lest it attracts in the wolves who will eat their livestock. It's a disappearing world. There are hints at democracy coming - and we all need to have that. The Father mentions the possibility of moving to live in a city. Throughout the whole world there must still be more people struggling with that dilemma of whether to stay and live off the land or join us internet scrutinising city dwellers. A film like this makes one think who has the better deal. It's a real tough life for the Batchuluum family. Their spirit is inspiring. The director Byambasuren Davaa has surpassed her earlier film of the Weeping Camel to show the struggle for survival in the Mongolian plains. The director had the family just be themselves and so it was not scripted but it is so well crafted and becomes a tale. But where did that puppy come from and how long can this culture withstand the pressure and allure of global social conformity?

Critics seem to have missed an important underlying message of the film: the life of the nomads is incompatible with the modern world and it is inescapable for this particular family, no matter how much they may want to move on. From the moment the returned child builds up the heap of dried dung to resemble flats we know she longs for the town. The parents talk of moving there when their daughter returns to school, but the father cannot earn enough to support them. His herdsmen friends talk of the number of people already gone. There is a lot of symbolism here, of which the melted scoop is only one, as well as spoken hints of a fate that traps people within it. As the older sibling tells the baby, 'You can't play with God.' (or, apparently, alter fate)The basket becomes a prison - literally, when the girl places it over the dog at one point - and the world of the steppes is dangerous, full of wolves, vultures and even storms. For all it's picturesque scenery and domestic charm, this is a redundant life, for which any political change will come too late; only the children will have a chance to leave - the symbolic yellow dog(s) of the wise woman's story, which the parents will need to sacrifice.

Beautiful and moving. The story is simple, a girl who wants to keep a stray dog and a dad who refuses, because he believes it might have grown up with wolves . As you will see, a great movie does not need explosions and special effects (if you are into movies with violence and action, it is definitely not for you). There are no actors in this film, just simple people. It is not an ethnographic documentary or a guide to life in the steppe...it is just a film about humble people who live differently and who can be happy without the modern comforts. It has won a number of awards: Golden Starfish Prize, KODAK Award, Artemis Records Original Movie Score Award Hamptons 2005.