The Story of the Weeping Camel
This breathtaking blend of documentary and fiction filmmaking provides an  unobtrusive glimpse into the relationships, rituals, and livelihood of a  four-generation family of nomadic shepherds in the Gobi desert of South  Mongolia. It is birthing season for the family’s herd of camels and after  several healthy foals are born, the last birth is difficult. With quiet  perseverance, the family helps to deliver a rare white colt, which the  mother camel quickly rejects and refuses to nurse. With growing  concern for the colt’s survival, the family decides to employ a nomadic  singing ritual to coax the mother into nurturing her young. They send the  two eldest sons on a journey to the nearest village to fetch a musician for  the "hoos ritual." The story unfolds gently, sensitive to the rhythms of  desert life while honoring its real-life actors. This modest yet magnificent  film is the graduation project of film students Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi  Falorni, extending beyond the tale of a camel and colt to explore the  fragility and beauty of an ancient way of life. Rated PG for some mild  thematic content. (Ages 8 and older)--Lynn Gibson