Athens International Film Festival
aiff

Öndög

A murder in the vast terrain of the Mongolian stepppe becomes the reason for a chance encounter between a young police officer and a dynamic woman living alone in the area. An impressive landscape and an exceptional female lead are the key elements to an adorable film about how to love and survive in the most unusual parts of this world, by the recipient of a Golden Bear award, Quan'an Wang (“Tuya's Marriage”).


CHINA, MONGOLIA | 2019 | COLOR | DCP | 100' | MONGOLIAN

Wang Quan’an immerses the viewer in the world of ‘Ondog’ with an extraordinary prologue and then shifts the interest from the police investigation to the leading woman, a motivated stock farmer – guardian of the tradition of an entire country.

In an almost ethnographic manner, Quan’an (Golden Bear for the ‘Tuya’s Marriage’, 2007 and Silver Bear for script for ‘Apart Together’, 2010) depicts with emotional clarity the loneliness of people and the wilderness of the natural landscape, creating a human geography that follows the tender heart of the film. The simple cinematography of Aymerick Pilarski (‘Invisible Tattoo’) clears our vision and the film’s impressive images leave space for the essentials At first ‘Ondog’ follows immovable people through their everyday struggle for survival. And then it brings hope. P.Gk.

DIRECTOR: Wang Quan'an
SCREENWRITER: Wang Quan'an
DoP: Aymerick Pilarski
EDITOR: Yang Wenjian
PRINCIPAL CAST: Dulamjav Enkhtaivan, Aorigeletu, Norovsambuu Batmunkh

WANG QUAN'AN
Chinese director, born in Yan'an in 1965. He studied at the renowned Beijing Film Academy where he graduated from in 1991. He belongs in the so called “6th Generation” of Chinese filmmakers. He is a favourite of the BIFF having won a Golden Bear in 2006 and the Silver Bear for Screenwriting in 2010. This is his seventh film.

FILMOGRAPHY
2019 Öndög
2011 White Deer Plain
2010 Tuan Yuan
2009 Weaving Girl
2006 Tuya's Marriage
2004 The Story of Ermei
1999 Lunar Eclipse



        : Festival Darlings

        TWILIGHT'S KISS / SUK SUK

        TWILIGHT'S KISS / SUK SUK

        24/9/2020, 19:30, ANESIS

        MARTIN EDEN

        MARTIN EDEN

        24/9/2020, 21:00, STELLA

        NOMADLAND (Opening Film)

        NOMADLAND (Opening Film)

        24/9/2020, 22:15, AEGLI ZAPPIOU

        SAVE YOURSELVES!

        SAVE YOURSELVES!

        24/9/2020, 22:15, RIVIERA
        28/9/2020, 23:00, TRIANON
        4/10/2020, 19:45, GREEK FILM ARCHIVE

        CICADA

        CICADA

        26/9/2020, 22:30, GREEK FILM ARCHIVE
        3/10/2020, 19:45, TRIANON

         THERE IS NO EVIL / SHEYTAN VOJUD NADARAD

        THERE IS NO EVIL / SHEYTAN VOJUD NADARAD

        26/9/2020, 22:30, ANESIS

        BLACK BEAR

        BLACK BEAR

        26/9/2020, 22:30, TRIANON
        4/10/2020, 22:45, ANESIS

        ARE WE LOST FOREVER

        ARE WE LOST FOREVER

        26/9/2020, 22:30, ATHINAIA

         SHIRLEY

        SHIRLEY

        26/9/2020, 22:45, AEGLI ZAPPIOU
        30/9/2020, 20:00, STELLA
        4/10/2020, 22:45, RIVIERA

        THE EVENING HOUR

        THE EVENING HOUR

        27/9/2020, 22:30, GREEK FILM ARCHIVE
        2/10/2020, 22:30, TRIANON

        ONLY THE ANIMALS / SEULES LES BÊTES

        ONLY THE ANIMALS / SEULES LES BÊTES

        28/9/2020, 19:30, RIVIERA

        ONE OF THESE DAYS

        ONE OF THESE DAYS

        28/9/2020, 21:00, STELLA
        4/10/2020, 23:00, TRIANON

        INSTINCT

        INSTINCT

        29/9/2020, 22:30, AEGLI ZAPPIOU
        1/10/2020, 19:30, GREEK FILM ARCHIVE

        FAREWELL AMOR

        FAREWELL AMOR

        30/9/2020, 19:30, AEGLI ZAPPIOU
        3/10/2020, 19:45, STELLA

        DINNER IN AMERICA

        DINNER IN AMERICA

        2/10/2020, 22:15, ATHINAIA
        4/10/2020, 19:45, RIVIERA

        MINAMATA

        MINAMATA

        3/10/2020, 19:30, ATHINAIA

        UNDINE (Closing Film)

        UNDINE (Closing Film)

        3/10/2020, 20:30, AEGLI ZAPPIOU
        3/10/2020, 22:30, RIVIERA

        HOPE / HÅP

        HOPE / HÅP

        3/10/2020, 22:15, ANESIS

        AMMONITE

        AMMONITE

        4/10/2020, 19:30, AEGLI ZAPPIOU