Urga

Director: Nikita Mikhalkov
Starring: Vladimir Gostyukhin, Badema, Bayertu
Year: 1992

The Mongolian shepherd Gombo lives in a yurt in Inner Mongolia with his wife, three children, and mother. They are content with their uncomplicated rural lives but Gombo wants his city born wife to bear a fourth child. A Russian truck driver named Sergei is stranded nearby, and finds his way to their house, where he and Gombo become friends despite their language and cultural differences.

Comments: We watched a version without subtitles (Zhanna translating for Steve in realtime)in which Mikhalkov does his own voiceover translating the dialog from Manchurian to Russian. This is kind of a weird way to watch a film, but it worked. The film explores the relationship between Russia and Manchuria over the ages from the political level to human level. Beautiful images of pristine Manchuria, which according to a recent article, is rapidly changing due to global warming and the increased grazing of goats to supply the global market for cheap cashmere (goats pull the delicate grass from the roots, as opposed to sheep which leave the roots undisturbed).

Somewhat Recommended.