WOW FILM FESTIVAL
FILMS
CITY OF WIND
Director: Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir Starring: Tergel Bold-Erdene, Nomin-Erdene Ariunbyamba, Anu-Ujin Tsermaa, Bulgan Chuluunbat, Ganzorig Tsetsgee, Tsend-Ayush Nyamsuren France/Germany/Mongolia/Netherlands/Portugal/Qatar, 2023, 103’, Mongolian with English subtitles
17-year-old shaman Ze grapples with high school and ancestral duties in modern Ulaanbaatar. His routine is disrupted when he encounters Maralaa, sparking a beautifully understated coming-of-age tale. From Mongolia's cinematic rural landscapes to urban life, the country’s Oscar entry for 2024 delicately balances tradition and modernity, portraying the Gen Z demographic's evolving connection. With precise storytelling and everyday cinematography, this debut film from Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir illuminates the quiet warmth in the world's coldest capital, offering a poignant exploration of adolescence and heritage.
"a carefully tended flame that spreads a little circle of light and warmth in the world’s coldest capital." — Variety
"This highly accomplished feature debut sees Purev-Ochir striving for an honest depiction of people and place by sensitively illustrating the uncertainties facing Mongolia’s Generation Z, which is now the country’s largest demographic." — Screen International
Orizonti Award for Best Actor at Venice Film Festival 2023
Aberystwyth Arts Centre: Tue 26/03, 2.30pm
Taliesin Arts Centre: Wed 20/3, 7.30pm
