The Cave of the Yellow Dog

Outstandingly beautiful hybrid of movie and documentary that tells the tale of a summer with a nomad family in Mongolia. The Batchuluun family will take you in to a marvelous sweet voyage into the endless grasslands of northwest Mongolia.

There is a story in the film and is as beautiful as the total film. It’s about one of the daughter's, Nasal that finds a dog in a cavern, the father that does not allow her to keep it as he’s afraid it was living with wolves. But the girl hides and keeps the dog. When summer is over and they have to move to other lands, the father leaves behind the dog but something very unexpected happens and the story has a very nice ending.

Breathtaking cinematography and some scenes that will marvel our western eyes, as when they dismantle their tents (I was fascinated by how they do it) or how little girls start to help her mother.

Have to say that I just loved this movie and is only my second Mongolian film (the first was Mongolian Ping Pong) and according to the director Byambasuren Davaa, she did the film to record a lifestyle that is in state of disappearing in Mongolia. Have to say that to my eyes this looks like paradise and during the movie I had an urge of leaving everything behind and find a paradise like that one. But, I know that this type of life is idyllic only in the big screen.

This movie I especially recommend to some of my loyal readers that love dogs, as not only the dog is really cute but is the lead character in the story along with Nasal. By the way this movie has non-actors and they are not performing. The director had a script but as she says, they were gifted by the little moments in the everyday life of this family and were able to film many unexpected situations that she could never think off and that you will find in the movie.

The movie has 5 awards in international festivals and awards, including the Film Award in Gold for Outstanding Children or Youth Film at the 2006 German Film Awards.

This is an art or art house film, but is so breathtaking and beautiful that I believe can have much wider audience as in the end this is a family film; so, if you’re near the DVD please do not hesitate and rent it.

Enjoy!