Screened as part of NZIFF 2023

If Only I Could Hibernate 2023

Baavgai bolohson

Directed by Zoljargal Purevdash Widescreen

In this first Mongolian Official Selection at Cannes, a teenage boy dreams of winning a scholarship in a national physics competition but his hopes are jeopardized when his mother leaves him to care for his siblings alone.

Jul 29

Penthouse Cinema

Jul 30
Sold Out

Light House Cinema Cuba

Aug 11

Penthouse Cinema

Mongolia In Mongolian with English subtitles
99 minutes Colour / DCP

Director, Screenplay

Producers

Zoljargal Purevdash
,
Frédéric Corvez
,
Maéva Savinien

Cinematography

Davaanyam Delgerjargal

Editor

Alexandra Strauss

Production Designer

Binderiya Munkhbat

Art Direction

Ariuntugs Tserenpil

Music

Johanni Curtet

Cast

Battsooj Uurtsaikh
,
Nominjiguur Tsend
,
Tuguldur Batsaikhan
,
Batmandakh Batchuluun
,
Ganchimeg Sandagdorj
,
Batsaikhan Battulga
,
Urnukhbayar Battogtokh

Festivals

Cannes (Un Certain Regard) 2023

Elsewhere

As the first Mongolian film to play in the Official Selection at Cannes, Zoljargal Purevdash’s accomplished debut is a gentle and poignant look at the socioeconomic changes transforming modern-day Mongolia.

Ulzii (Battsooj Uurtsaikh), a poor 15-year-old who lives in a yurt with his mother and three siblings in the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar, is a talented physics student at school. Hoping to attend university one day, he is encouraged by his teacher to train for a national competition and win a scholarship to one of the best schools in the country. However, when his struggling alcoholic mother leaves to find work in the countryside, Ulzii must take care of his younger siblings while balancing his academic life. As the brutal Mongolian winter sets in and heating becomes more difficult, Ulzii, too proud to ask for help, begins to drift further away from his aspirations in a bid to survive.

With affecting and charming performances from its young cast, If Only I Could Hibernate is gentle in its pace but does not shy away from highlighting the devastation faced by a traditionally nomadic nation in the name of increasing “economic development”, shining a spotlight on those left behind. — Vicci Ho

“Purevdash and her cast… approach this subject with a gentle touch… Ariuntugs Tserenpil’s sensitive production design renders this space as cosy rather than rundown—this is a family home, after all, and there are photos on the wall, toys scattered on the floor and a television in the corner. Indeed, the whole film is careful to portray its characters as dynamic individuals attempting to break free of economic shackles rather than victims of circumstance.” — Nikki Baughan, Screendaily