Why so much hype?

Am I Missing Something?

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

I first saw this movie at the outdoor cinema of La Villette last summer (every summer in the parc of "la villette", north of Paris, they show movies on an inflatable giant screen, people lay in the grass after a picnic or can rent transat chairs and blankets). It was just magical seeing those Mongolian landscapes while the Parisian sky was changing colors from blue to red and dark blue, and feeling the grass and earth beneath. This movie is so simple and things just seem to happen naturally like if you were sharing the life of this very touching family. The scenes with the kids are particularly sweet, makes you want to bury under a warm blanket... especially when the night wind cools you (definitely need a blanket if you lay in the grass to see a movie!).

Sorry about the summary but those who had the good fortune to see "Weeping Camel" may see something in it. if you're into meditation perhaps this could be a very helpful addition for your practice. Just sit, relax let you mind wonder along the story. Especially if you have the privilege to have been in contact with rural setting and the benefit of a long life and can remember the days where things were simple, natural yet not so easy. I think then you'll enjoy that journey with this nomadic family where everyday life is moving together with the change of times with unavoidable anxious feeling for the invasion of a modern world. I too remember life with 15 milking cows in the East of France, and even earlier on "minding" grazing cows somewhere in open spaces as if time would stand still and i'd never grow older than 10! But here the story is seen from the young children eyes, their loving and concerned parents and older people who seem beyond concerns and more resigned to the grandeur of life. Some comments speak much of symbols in this story. Yes they are, but only if you want to take notice of them, else let yourself go with the gentle tide of the story. It needn't to be too intellectual unless you enjoy the extra. I hate giving points but feel that most would enjoy this work. MB

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?