Öndög
It opens like a police film, with a police car driving across the Mongolian steppe against the setting sun. Suddenly, the policemen see a terrible sight in the arc of their headlights: the naked body of a woman. More officers arrive to investigate the crime scene. When they leave, an 18-year-old rookie is left behind to guard the corpse. He is not entirely alone, but is joined by a herdswoman who is a skilled shot with her rifle, which could come in handy given the many hungry wolves roaming about. As the cold night falls, she smokes a cigarette and shares her lamb soup with him. Inebriated, they eventually end up in each other's arms. And then?
In many near-fleeting dialogues, Chinese director Wang Quan'an tells a story of love, old traditions and modern life, with a key role for the majestic, sweeping Mongolian landscape. Nominated for the Golden Bear at the past Berlinale.
De Balie
Öndög will be screened at De Balie on Tuesday 20 August at 19:00h. Tickets for all WCA screenings at De Balie can be purchased via their website. Click here for tickets for this screening.
WANG QUAN’AN (1965, China) is a Chinese screenwriter and director who graduated from Beijing Film Academy in 1991. His first two features, Lunar Eclipse (1999) and The Story of Ermei (2004) screened at the Berlinale and his third, Tuya’s Marriage (2006), won the 2007 Golden Bear for Best Film. His 2010 film Apart Together won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay.
