World Premiere
Tulgaa returns to his native village to care for his dying stepfather, honouring his remaining commitments by offering to lend a hand with the summer harvest. But upon witnessing Tulgaa’s clumsy first attempts, Tuntuulei, a sassy 10-year-old boy, takes it upon himself to school the city slicker on the grassland ways. Despite getting off on the wrong foot, the two soon find common ground and form a delicate bond that will transform their lives.
At once dense and light on its feet, this understated drama wields a notable humorous touch, rooted largely in the warm cultural temperament and hearty performances by the two leads, whose effortless chemistry is both spunky and disarmingly raw. Actor-director Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam makes a seamless transition behind the camera, expertly tapping into mainstream conventions while never losing sight of the intimately familiar cultural lens. Baljinnyam intuitively harnesses the power of the Mongolian landscapes to amplify the emotional footprint and underscore the looming realities of a nomadic culture on the brink of change.
Presented by
Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam, Tenuun-Erdene Garamkhand
Mongolia
2022
In Mongolian with English subtitles
Coarse language; violence
Open to youth!
Book Tickets
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Birds of War
Told through phone videos, voice notes, texts, and news footage, Birds of War documents the love story of Lebanese journalist Janay Boulos and Syrian activist Abd Alkader Habak as their connection deepens and their communications grow in urgency.
Relax, Open Your Eyes
Confronted with her husband's declining health, Carrie Radomski dedicates herself to building Canada's first cryonics facility in this intimate documentary about hope, conviction, and humanity's enduring quest to overcome death.
In Alaska
In Alaska follows Woody, an Inuk teen whose bullet pierces the Trans-Alaska Pipeline during a failed suicide attempt. Fleeing to Nunavut, he finds community and reconnects with the land and his Inuit roots, discovering what it means to be alive.
The Bryce Lee Story
A 13-year-old immigrant and aspiring filmmaker falsely claims he's related to Bruce Lee in this Vancouver Island-set film. The Bryce Lee Story is a heartfelt coming-of-age tale about identity, family, and the search for belonging.
Last Movies
What would film history look like reorganized around the last movies various cultural figures watched before they died? Last Movies embraces this simple concept to offer a deliberately skewed and mordantly funny love letter to cinema.
Credits
Executive Producer
Zavier Dumans
Producer
Uran Sainbileg
Screenwriter
Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam
Cinematography
Josua Fischer
Editor
Bayarsaikhan Batsukh
Production Design
Bolor-Erdene Naidannyam
Original Music
Odbayar Battogtokh
Director
Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam
Amarsaikhan Baljinnyam worked previously as an actor and producer on Thief of the Mind (2011) and Trapped Abroad (2014), both directed by Janchivdorj Sengedorjs. He appeared in the Netflix original series Marco Polo as Ariq Böke (Khubilai Khan’s brother). More recently, he worked as a screenwriter and actor on Under the Turquoise Sky (2021), about a Japanese man who goes on a journey of self-discovery in Mongolia.