01 December 2021
Mongolia/Germany
2020
Director: Bayambasuren Davaa
The director of much-loved World Cinema classic The Story of the Weeping Camel transports us to the spectacular beauty of the Mongolian steppe. This time she looks at the encroachment of
modernity and its effect on nomadic lifestyles that have changed little in hundreds of years. Following the sudden death of the leader of a campaign against mining companies who are destroying the habitat on which they depend, his eleven-year-old son steps up to carry on his David versus Goliath fight. Director Byambasuren Davaa was diverted from her original scenario for her fourth feature when she witnessed first-hand the impact that mining operations were having on long-established Mongolian communities. She immediately switched her attention to exposing this existential threat. While Veins of the World shows us the majestic grandeur of the Mongolian landscape, the cinematography also reminds us that the way of life dependent upon the preservation of this same land is in a very precarious position.
Berlin International Film Festival 2020 Nominee Best Film (Bayambasuren Davaa)