For her debut feature film, Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir delves into her own past experiences, exploring customs and traditions through the eyes of her young protagonist. Ze must navigate the delicate balance between pursuing personal desires and fulfilling sacred duties as the shaman for their village. Shot in Ulaanbaatar, the film captures a pivotal moment in time—a crossroads between adolescence and adulthood, a reflection on traditions from the past and their relevance in the present, and an evolving city that starkly contrasts with its recent history and is likely to undergo significant changes in the near future.
Already a notable presence on the film festival circuit due to her previous short films, Purev-Ochir was chosen to participate in the 2023 Venice Film Festival’s Orizzonti section. City of Wind earned the Best Actor prize for Tergel Bold-Erdene, and it has recently been selected as Mongolia’s official entry for the International Feature Oscar category in 2024. I had the opportunity to sit down with the filmmaker during the festival, where we discussed the project’s origins, her approach to capturing the backdrop, and her unique portrayal of youth culture.
Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).
