Product Description

(Foreign/Drama) Oscar-nominated director Byambasuren Davaa’s follow-up to the hugely successful The Story of the Weeping Camel is a thought-provoking mix of documentary and drama that tells the story of the age-old bond between man and dog. The eldest daughter of a nomadic Mongolian family finds a small dog and brings it home. Believing that it is responsible for attacking his sheep, her father refuses to allow her to keep it. When the family moves on, Nansal must decide whether or not to defy her father and take her new friend with them.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #30831 in DVD
• Brand: Genius
• Released on: 2007-02-13
• Rating: G (General Audience)
• Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.com
Equal parts documentary, children's story, and narrative drama, Cave of the Yellow Dog is a beautifully filmed adventure that the entire family will enjoy. It's unique on many levels, the most notable being that the charismatic family portrayed in the film are an actual family, and none of them are professional actors. The eldest daughter (played by adorable Nansal Batchuluun) appears to be about 6 or 7 years old. Her life is nothing like that of an American first grader. She goes away to school, returning home during the summers. Nansal cares for younger sister and brother, telling them about how homes in big cities have toilets in the house. She collects dried dung for the family's fire pit and helps her mother cook. And when her father goes to town for a few days, it is Nansal who takes over his chore of leading a herd of sheep to graze in a fuller pasture miles from her home. Nansal is mature for her age, but she is still a child who can't resist cute animals. So when she finds a small black and white pup holed up in a cave, she adopts him and names him Zochor (the Mongolian equivalent of Spot). Her father--worried that the dog may have grown up feral with a pack of wolves--forbids her to keep the puppy and the viewer is never certain whether Nansal and Zochor will be able to remain together. What sets Cave of the Yellow Dog apart from films such as Lassie and Old Yeller is the breathtaking buttes, vistas, and scenery showcased in the film. Watching the apple-cheeked children squeal with laughter as they play in front of their yurt--their collapsible and movable home--viewers get the sense that they wouldn't choose any other life, even though theirs seems filled with hardship for those of us accustomed to the comforts of modern-day living. The Palme d'Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, this movie is heartwarming and pragmatic at the same time. --Jae-Ha Kim

Customer Reviews

"You Can't Play With Buddha" ~ Herding Ship And Collecting Dung Along The Endless Cycle Of Reincarnation
Note: Mongolian with English and Spanish subtitles [also contains optional English dubbed version].

`The Cave of the Yellow Dog" released in '05 is a remarkably unique and fascinating journey into the landscape and soulscape of a real life Mongolian family. Join Nansal and her younger sister, little brother and parents on their neverending nomadic journey as the quide their flock of sheep from one grazing field to the next.

The film chronicles the daily activities of a solitary nomadic family trying to survive the elements, packs of wolves and vultures while trying to raise three small children. The story centers on the oldest child, Nansal. Nansal is approximately eight or nine years and lives with relatives in the city most of the year so she can attend school. Now that summer has arrived she has returned to her family where she resumes her old way of life. She helps with the sheep, collects dung and watches over her younger siblings. On one dung collecting expedition she finds a dog and forms an immediate bond with the animal. She names her new playmate Konchar and brings him home. Her parents reaction to their new guest is mixed and the question arises; is the dog a hindrance that will attract wolves into their camp, or was it sent by fate for some undisclosed purpose. It is here that the concept of reincarnation delicately weaves its thread through the storyline. Will stubborn little Nansal be able to convince her parents that the arrival of the dog is a good thing or will she have to abandon her new friend when it's time to move on?

The affectionate nature of this delightful family exudes onto the screen as the two adoring parents continue living a life style that is fast growing extinct. The story is enchanting, the three children adorable and the Mongolian landscape magnificent. Whether approached as documentary, travel log, family faire, intelligent drama, or spiritual teaching, the film works well within all the fore mentioned categories. `The Cave of the Yellow Dog' also possesses a simple but elegant soundtrack reminiscent of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is a remarkable cinematic achievement and a moving, unforgettable experience that so clearly points out that even in so vastly different cultures and lifestyles how alike we truly are.

Far Away from Hollywood
Far away from Hollywood both thematically and geographically, this heartwarming tale of a young girl's love of a dog she has found, is an outstanding film. Many close-ups of modern nomadic family life in Mongolia, the struggles to keep live stock alive and healthy, the natural play and interaction of children in a rural setting with few modern accoutrements, but most of all the endless sky and landscape make this well worth viewing.

Stunning - if it weren't for the Disneyish
While not as original as The Story of the Weeping Camel, YELLOW DOG is still a visually beautiful film set in Western Mongolia (not in the Gobi of WEEPING CAMEL). Once again, it's a fascinating peek at a real-life Mongolian couple living in a yurt with their 3 children, including a daughter home from school who finds a stray dog. And, it's the documentarian glimpse at the family's life that entrances me.

The sense of artificial drama is stronger here than in WEEPING CAMEL. In fact, the found dog and little girl rings of Disney. And that feeling becomes even stronger when she is drawn into dire situations by her fondness for him. (At least the girl, Nansal Batchuluun, is a thousand times more appealing than the insufferable Kevin Corcoran.) Even more telling, the ending could only be a setup.

It helps to view this as a drama with non-actors. And while that drama might feel manufactured, the visual and cultural content make it worthwhile.