It’s the time of year again! The 36th Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) kicks off three and a half weeks of featured films throughout the city.  This year we are fortunate to have two Mongolian films presented at the festival.

The Two Horses of Genghis Khan and The Eagle Hunter’s Son. Both of these films will give you a little insight into the culture and scenery that we hope to experience on our journey. Perhaps you’ll consider sharing in the experience by viewing them as well!

The Two Horses of Genghis Khan

Award-winning filmmaker Byambasuren Davaa (The Story of the Weeping Camel, SIFF 2004) continues her loyal and loving survey of her Mongolian homeland in this fascinating story of the search for a lost song of Genghis Khan. Urna Chahar-Tugchi is a Mongolian vocalist born into a family of livestock farmers of the Ordos district of Inner Mongolia, who studied classical music in Shanghai and now performs professionally, combining classical and traditional Mongolian music. The film tells the story of her promise to repair her grandmother’s beloved horse-head violin that was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and find the song that is partially inscribed on the violin’s neck. This song, “Chingisiyn hoyor zagal” (“The Two Horses of Genghis Khan”), originated in the Middle Ages and is a unique piece of Mongolian music. It is a “Long Song,” considered by UNESCO to be an object of world cultural heritage, and the specific singing technique makes it possible to sing on horseback for hours. Traveling across the steppes with Urna we meet musicians, shamans, a violin maker, and ordinary urban and rural Mongolians who, each in their own way, yield up precious secrets. View trailer at SIFF page.

The Eagle Hunter’s Son

Filmed against the sweeping landscapes of the remote Mongolian mountains on the border with Kazakhstan, this storyof self-discovery introduces us to Bazarbai, a 12-year-old nomadic boy who dreams of joining his brother in the city of Ulan Batar to make his fortune. His father, however, has other plans: to teach his son the trade of eagle hunting, a generations-long family tradition. Bazarbai does indeed travel to the city, carrying his father’s aging eagle with him. When the bird is taken from him, the boy realizes his strong bond, not only with the bird, but also to his family. A metaphor for his own life’s path, Bazarbai’s journey leads him through dangers and temptations to finally accept responsibilities he must claim as his own. Therein he also discovers his own path and the possibilities that lie in wait. Heartwarming and thoughtful, the cinematography of this exotic story plays a crucial role, as we are dazzled and moved by spectacular scenes of soaring eagles in their native habitat. View trailer at SIFF page.