Story of the Weeping Camel

This one is quite unlike any other documentary that I have seen. Saw it today morning before going off to sleep.

For one thing, the concept itself is unique. It wonderfully blends storytelling, drama, cultural ethnography and nature documentary into one. The documentary is shot in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. The story primarily revolves around a family of camel and sheep herders who face an unexpected crisis when the mother of one of the newborn camel calves rejects it. It simply refuses to give the calf any motherly affection and care. This is probably because the mother, Ingen Temee, has had a particularly difficult first birthing experience, being in labor for about 2 days. In fact, we witness the calf being literally pulled out because the mother does not have any strength left to push it out. The calf, Botok, is an albino Bactrian camel. It was heart-wrenching to see some of the scenes between this calf and the mother. Days pass, and even after the best of efforts to effect a change, the camel remains obdurate as ever. The calf becomes weak and seems to be losing the will to live, often refusing even the tender attention of the family who has been feeding it with milk manually.

Amgaa, an elder in the family, then decides that a Hoos ritual will be required. But for that they need a good violinist. So they dispatch the two young boys to Aimak to fetch a musician. Aimak is a place where the western way of life has already made its presence felt more strongly than in the remote place where the family lives. It was funny as well as troubling to see the behavior of Ugna, the younger of the two boys, as he encounters temptations such as television, bicycles, ice-cream and department stores. We see a consumerist in the making. :)

With the help of some family friends, the boys make contact with a violinist at the cultural center who agrees to help. After the boys reach some, the family waits anxiously for the violinist to arrive as the calf is even more desolate than ever.

We then witness the Hoos ritual which was wonderful and touching. This was the best moment for me. Offering prayers to the spirits, the musician first simply hangs the violin on the hump of the hassled and nervous camel. The violin strings vibrate as Odgoo & Ikhee try to soothe the camel. Odgoo then sings a melodic song to the accompaniment of violin to try and change the camel’s heart. However, it seems to have no effect. The violinist is about to give up but she continues to sing, urging him to accompany with his music. Finally, we see the camel weeping with emotion. Its heart has been stirred and it now accepts the calf as its own.

For me, this documentary was a fine example of magical storytelling and witnessing the way of life of these people who live in the harsh environment of the desert. It also shows how nobody can survive without love – neither the calf, nor us, nor planet earth. The funny way in which the childishness of consumerism has been portrayed was also nice.