Byambasuren Davaa - Die Höhle des gelben Hundes (2005)

From the director of The Story of the Weeping Camel comes another captivatingly beautiful story of nomadic family life in the endless expanse of the Mongolian landscape. While taking a walk six-year-old Nansaa finds a little black-and-white spotted dog in a cave along the cliffs. She names him "Zochor" (or 'Spot' in English) and takes him home with her. But her father tells her to get rid of him because wild dogs attack the sheep. When her father goes on a long trip, Nansaa keeps the little dog, who becomes her trusted companion. One day she loses track of him in the tundra - and while searching for him encounters an old Nomad woman, who tells her the legend of the cave of the yellow dog. Tartan




The little nomad girl Nansal finds a baby dog in the mongolian veld, who becomes her best friend - against all rejections of her parents. Only as the little dog, Zocher, saves the life of the youngest son, father and mother finally see his good soul. A story about a mongolian family of nomads - their traditional way of life and the rising call of the City. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0432325/plotsummary)




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. (--Jae-Ha Kim - Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com)




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 - Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com)