THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG
Captivating fable of the struggle of nomadic life faced
with urban lure set in the magnificent Mongolian landscape.
***Exclusively at the Labia on Orange***
CAPE TOWN SCREENINGS:
WHEN: Friday 9 May – Thursday 15 May
WHERE: Labia Cinema on Orange - Tel: 021-424 5927
TIME: Daily at 2.00pm
COST: R25.00 - The usual Labia ticket discounts apply
Running time: 93 minutes
*** Book early to avoid disappointment***
THE CAVE OF THE YELLOW DOG
A Mongolian nomad family find themselves in disagreement when the oldest daughter, Nansal, finds a dog and brings it home. Believing that it may be of half-wolf origin, her father refuses to allow her to keep it in fear that it may kill his sheep. When it's time for the family to move on, Nansal must decide whether to defy her father and take her new friend with them. Oscar-nominated director Byambasuren's film is a thought-provoking mix of documentary and drama that tells the story of the age-old bond between man and dog, a bond which experiences a new twist through the eternal cycle of reincarnation in Mongolia.
From the Director:
"My grandmother told me the fable of the yellow dog many years ago and with it she communicated one of the greatest worldly wisdoms. With my film, I would like to make this story available to people from other cultural backgrounds."
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TICKETS are on a first-come first-serve basis directly from the Labia at tel 021 4245927
*** Book early to avoid disappointment***
Tickets can be prepaid for and collected at the Labia.
If you wish to RSVP to this email to book your seat please indicate number of tickets, your "name & surname", and a contact telephone number.
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PLEASE READ THE DIRECTOR'S NOTES BELOW.
Cape Times 4 stars ****
"Wholesomely organic . . . free from the artificial colourings most mainstream movies are pumped full of these days." Sunday Telegraph.
DIRECTOR'S NOTES - from Byambasuren Davaa
Now it is my time to tell the story of the "Mongolian Dog". It is a story about Mongolian nomads from a region in Northwest Mongolia, the area from which my mother and grandmother hail.
A land and its people in change. Important for me during the development of this film were the following themes: Which values and beliefs are the children growing up with? Can tradition and modernization exist side by side in harmony? What does "modern life" mean from the perspective of a nomad family?
THE PROTAGONISTS AND THE STORY
I decided to follow the themes together with a 5-member nomad family (not professional actors) from the Altai region and portray them in a universally understood conflict. In the film, the young girl NANSA finds a small puppy in a cave while out collecting firewood. She immediately falls in love with the puppy and names it ZOCHOR (Mongolian = colourful). But the father demands that NANSA get rid of the dog and set it out again since it is uncertain if the nomad family will continue its nomadic lifestyle, and the dog's uncertain origin - possibly from a wolf - could pose a threat to the family.
STORY LEVELS AND MONGOLIAN PECULIARITIES
My film tells the universally understandable story of a conflict between father and daughter. The daughter NANSA is the main figure in the film and is the focal point of the story line. On a further level, the viewer is introduced to my Mongolian culture. On the one hand, the fascinating life of he self-sufficient nomad family with its animal herds, and on the other hand, our Mongolian peculiarities. I would like to emphasize this part of my film in particular since it deals with great spirituality and Buddhist belief, both of which have an influence on the nomad's harmonious connection with nature and the belief in reincarnation.
THE ETERNAL CYCLE OF REINCARNATION
I begin the film with a prologue from the father. "Everyone dies, but no one is dead," the father says to his daughter and buries the dog.
THE FABLE OF THE YELLOW DOG
In my film, NANSA must follow her father's orders and set little ZOCHOR out. As a result, she loses her way, she gets lost. When NANSA hears a melody and singing off in the distance, she follows it. She comes upon an old, grey-haired woman, who is singing with all her might across the valley. NANSA is taken in by the old woman. Time in the old woman's tent appears to have stood still.
An important meeting takes place here; the old and the new find a common bond in the fable of the yellow dog, which stands for the pinnacle of little NANSA's journey in life. NANSA's little dog becomes the YELLOW DOG.
The concrete story line melts with the higher-ranking metaphoric dimension. NANSA gets to know her cultural and spiritual roots. The fable shows the viewer a new appreciation of life. The old woman demonstrates picture-perfectly just how difficult it is to be reborn as a human. My grandmother told me the fable of the yellow dog many years ago and with it she communicated to me one of the greatest worldly wisdoms. With my film, I would like to make this story available to other people from other cultural backgrounds.
A LIFE BEYOND LINEAR VALUES
From Mongolia, I know a life beyond linear and material values. At the end of the film, I show the reconciliation between the father and the dog
ZOCHOR. With that, I would like to hold on to the hope that old and young can exist equally, side by side. Even if my film family does take off into uncertainty at the end of the film.
