# Jigjidsuren Gombojav

Jigjidsüren Gombojav (Mongolian: Гомбожавын Жигжидсүрэн) is a Mongolian film director and screenwriter. His films include The First Steps (Анхны Алхам) (1974), The Legend of Mother Oasis (Эх Бүрдийн Домог) (1975), Khatan-Bator (Хатанбаатар) (1981), Tears of the Rock Monument (Хүн Чулууны Нулимс) (1990), Warm Ashes (Бүлээн Нурам) (1991), and Traces of Existence (Амин Мөр) (1992). He was awarded the highest honor in Mongolia for artists, the People's Artist of Mongolia, in 2007 for his contribution to Mongolian cinema and television, and the highest literature award in Mongolia, D. Natsagdorj Literature Award, in 2011 for his documentary film about the poet D. Natsagdorj.

## Life

Jigjidsüren Gombojav was born in a place called Uzuur-Shand in today's Bayanjargalan sum of Töv Province of Mongolia, to a Khiyad-Borjigin aristocratic Khalkha Mongol family from what is then known as Darhan Zasag banner from Tüsheet Khan aimag, and was brought up in Ulaanbaatar, which was under the jurisdiction of the same banner. After graduating from high school in Ulaanbaatar, Jigjidsüren worked as an assistant director in the "Mongol Kino" studio under the supervision of the directors Jigjid Dejid and Chimed-Osor Dendev. In 1962 he was admitted to the State Institute of Cinematography (a.k.a. VGIK, now the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography). He studied film directing under Lev Kuleshov and screenwriting under Aleksei Kapler.

## Career

After graduating from the State Institute of Cinematography, Jigjidsüren returned to the "Mongol Kino" film studio to be hired as a film director. He debuted his directorial career with a feature film The First Steps which was released in 1970. The film won the Special Prize at the Tashkent International Film Festival. The Legend of Mother Oasis won the main prize at the Karlovy-Vary International Film Festival in 1976. He co-directed the film with Buntar Jamyan. Khatan-bator, the drama Jigjidsüren directed and co-wrote with S.Udval, was included in the competition program of the Moscow International Film Festival in 1981. His directorial work Prologue of the Undeclared War was included in the competition program of the Moscow International Film Festival in 1985. Jigjidsüren worked as a film director and artistic director at the "Mongol Kino" film studio until 1992. Since then he has produced several feature films under his private film studio "Hiimori-Film". From 1996 he worked as the programming director at the Mongolian National Television (now Mongolian National Broadcaster) and also served on its executive committee. He co-wrote with his spouse "The Encyclopedia of Mongolian Cinema" in 2005. The encyclopedia includes chronicles and descriptions of films made in Mongolia from 1935 to 2000, and is considered to be the only comprehensive reference on Mongolian cinema. He also wrote a biographical and historical account of Mongolian cinema in his book "55:25 The Kids of Shadow Art". In addition to activities in cinema and television, since the 1980s Jigjidsüren taught at higher education institutions in Mongolia, including the University of Culture and Arts, and the Institute of Cinematography of Mongolia.

## Filmography

| Year | English title | Original title | Role | Country | Notes |
| 1970 | The First Steps | Анхны Алхам | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | Student film |
| 1972 | The Beginning | Эхлэлт | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1973 | The Gem of the Gobi | Говийн Нүдэн | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1975 | The Legend of Mother Oasis | Эх Бүрдийн Домог | Co-director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1976 | Human Life | Хүний Амь | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1978 | Stupa Blue Mountains | Сувраган Цэнхэр Уулс | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1981 | Khatan-bator (Khatanbaatar) | Хатанбаатар | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1981 | The People's Khatan-bator | Ардын Хатанбаатар | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1983 | Sun's Foal | Нарны Унага | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1984 | The Prologue of the Undeclared War | Зарлаагүй Дайны Оршил | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1985 | Petition To the Front | Фронтод Явах Өргөдөл | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1986 | Tree Sprouted in Autumn | Намар Нахиалсан Мод | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1989 | Golden Falcon | Алтан Шонхор | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1990 | Tears of the Rock Monument | Хүн Чулууны Нулимс | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1991 | Warm Ashes | Бүлээн Нурам | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1992 | The Traces of Existence | Амин Мөр | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1992 | Beast | Араатан | Director | Mongolian People's Republic | |
| 1992 | Vengeance | Өс Хонзон | Director | Mongolia, China | |
| 1995 | White Foal in the Dreams | Зүүдний Цагаан Унага | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolia | |
| 1996 | The Bank's Ruin | Банкны Сүйрэл | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolia | |
| 1997 | The Descendant of the Great Khaan | Их Хааны Удам | Director, Co-screenwriter | Mongolia | |
| 2000 | The Legend of the White Milk | Цагаан Сүүний Домог | Director | Mongolia | |