Description
The clip begins with panoramic shots of the countryside around Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia.
Endless plains in between mountains, a small settlement of traditional yurts, round tents, home to the nomads who live in the region and herd yaks. An isolated tent in a desolate landscape, sparse vegetation, no farming, great sprouting from the earth, a far-off road.
The cinematographer is travelling with the first western ambassador in Mongolia (the United Kingdom’s).
Shots in the rain follow from inside the ambassador’s Range Rover showing the wild and desolate countryside, including the bones of animals eaten by wolves.
Later on, the camera finds three men on horseback in traditional attire; the ambassador invites them to talk and offers them refreshment.
The men then mount their horses and leave. We catch a glimpse of an intricate saddle.
The clip ends with shots of some yaks.
---
Creator's description:
So this is it, the country of the Mongols, those hardy horsemen who terrified the East for centuries and once even reached the gates of Vienna before turning back undefeated in battle.
The bones of animals killed by wolves give a clue to the harshness of nature here. It’s great country for horses, obviously, with its huge areas of empty, undulating grassland. There are also trees on the hillsides, and rocks sprouting from the earth, but no signs of cultivation.
Ah, what a splendid sight! Three cantering horsemen. The horses are small, but immensely tough.
The Ambassador asks the horsemen to stop so that he may speak to them and offer them refreshment.
This is quite a ritual. Certain greetings have to be exchanged, and at the moment of offering the drink the Ambassador is careful to place his left hand under his right forearm to indicate that he has no weapon.
Away they go, those weather-beaten characters… And here are some yaks, among the few domestic animals that can withstand the fierce winters, when the temperature can drop to minus 45 centigrade or even lower.
-Bonar, Andrew Graham
* Subscribe to our channel for more films: [ Ссылка ]
* Follow us on Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
* More on this film: [ Ссылка ]
