Japan Premiere

Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s feature debut tells the story of Ze, a 17-year-old high-school boy who just also happens to be a shaman for his village. People go to him for advice from ancestral spirits and he is treated with respect for the most part. However, there is Maralaa, a girl who awakens his desires and who is VERY sceptical of him when her mother takes her for blessings on the eve of her hospitalisation. In a case of opposites attract, Ze falls for Maralaa and visits her in hospital where the two express their dreams and desires: she wants to live in the countryside while he would like to live in the modern capital of Ulaanbaatar. Thus, Ze begins to reckon with the question of how to follow his dreams while adhering to traditions.
Through Ze and Maralaa, viewers will see the various aspirations of Mongolia’s youth, their dreams and ambitions and the way tradition and modernity are mixed together. For his performance, lead actor Tergel Bold-Erdene won Best Actor award in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival and is a nominee for the Best Newcomer award at the 2024 Asian Film Awards. [Jason MAHER]