MM Film Blog

Yes, camels really do weep. I wouldn't have believed it either. Set in Mongolia's Gobi region, the film portrays a group of nomadic camel herders attempting to reunite a rare white Bactrian camel calf with its mother, after being rejected by the mother due to a difficult delivery.

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This is a beautiful and enchanting film. It employs simple story-telling to give us a rare view into the lives of a simple, gentle, nature revering people, and the camels who play such an integral part in their lives. The 2-humped Bactrian camels were domesticated 3,500 years ago, and the film poignantly demonstrates the beautiful relationship of trust and interdependency between the camels and the nomads who herd them.

Written and directed by Byambasuren Davaa (who is Mongolian) and Luigi Falorni, the film was nominated for a best documentary oscar in 2005. It weaves documentary footage with recreated drama to tell the tale of the animals against the backdrop of the human family. There seems to be some controversy over this approach, since some of the family scenes were suggested or coreographed. However, the scenes of the camels are obviously quite real and moving. So if some of the family scenes are filled in for the continuity of the story, is there any harm done?

The film culminates in a very moving ritual combining violin music and chanting, which literally brings the mother camel to tears, and reunites mother and baby. Thus love and family are the overarching themes of this very sweet film.

For more information, visit the National Geographic website.

MM Rating - * * * * *