State of Dogs explained
State of Dogs
Nohoin Oron |
| Director: | Peter Brosens
Dorjkhandyn Turmunkh |
| Producer: | Peter Brosens (Inti Films)
Jan Ewout Ruiter (Balthazar Film)
Kristiina Pervila
Alok Nandi I |
| Starring: | Nyam Dagyrantz
Baatar Galsansukh
Purevdavaa Oyungerel
Jamyansuren Oyunstingel |
| Music: | Charo Calvo |
| Cinematography: | Heiki Färm
Sakhya Byamba |
| Narrator: | Maria von Heland |
| Runtime: | 91 minutes |
| Country: | Mongolia |
| Language: | Mongolian |
State of Dogs (mn|Нохойн орон, alternately Nokhoin Oron) is a Mongolian movie that was released in 1998, directed and written by Peter Brosens and Dorjkhandyn Turmunkh. The film was shown at the 1998 Venice Film Festival,[1] the 1998 Toronto International Film Festival,[1] the 1999 Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, and won the Grand Prix at the 1998 Visions du Réel film festival in Nyon, Switzerland.[1]
Synopsis
Set in Mongolia's capital city, Ulan Bator, the film combines documentary elements with fictional elements[2] in the fragmented, impressionistic and dreamlike story of Baasar, a dog who dies early in the movie - shot by a hunter employed by the city to reduce its dog population, which has more than one dog for each four humans in its population of 800,000.[3]
According to Mongolian legend, a dog (who is prepared) may be reincarnated in its next life as a human, after roaming free for as long as he wants.[4] Baasar roams the memory of his life, uninterested in advancing to a human life.[5]
The film includes brief interludes with a solar eclipse, a segment in which a young man recites poems directly to the camera, and a depiction of modern Mongolian life with undercurrents of mysticism and myth.[3]
Cultural influence
Garth Stein, American author and film producer, was inspired by State of Dogs to write his best selling novel The Art of Racing in the Rain.[6]
Awards
- "Grand Prix", Visions du Réel, Nyon
- "Grand Prix", Graz Biennale für Medien und Architektur
- "Grand Prix", Maremma Doc Festival, in Tuscany
- "Grand Prix" & "Special Jury Award", SEIA, Portugal
- "Critics Award", São Paulo International Film Festival
- "Best Documentary", Molodist International Film Festival, Kyiv
- "FICC Prize", Molodist International Film Festival, Kyiv
- "Don Quixote Award," Molodist International Film Festival
- "Best Film Award", Molodist International Film Festival
- "Best Feature Film Award", Gavà International Environmental Film Festival
- "Best Script Award", Györ MediaWave International Festival of Visual Arts, Hungary
- "Special Jury Award", St. Petersburg Message to Man Film Festival
- “Critics Award,” Bodrum Environmental International Film Festival
- “Mention Spéciale du Jury” Strasbourg Semaine du Documentaire de Création Européen
- “European Lianas for Best Documentary” New European Talent 98, Barcelona
- “Silver Award” World Festival of Human and Nature Films, Korea
- “Fonske” KFL (Katholieke Filmliga)
Notes and References
- News: State of Dogs (1998) . https://web.archive.org/web/20080614041146/http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/173775/State-of-Dogs/overview. dead. Movies & TV Dept. . . . Bhob Stewart . Bhob Stewart . 2008 . 2008-06-14.
- News: Die Like a Dog, A lauded Mongolian film probes a mongrel's soul . Time Magazine, Leah Kohlenberg, January 25, 1999 . https://web.archive.org/web/20010214024616/http://www.time.com/time/asia/asia/magazine/1999/990125/mongolia_dog1.html . dead . February 14, 2001 . January 25, 1999.
- Web site: State of Dogs . Yahoo Movies .
- Web site: Bestselling author discusses work 'from a dog's point of view' . Carmel Valley News, Karen Billing .
- Web site: State of Dogs . .
- Web site: AUTHOR TALK: Garth Stein . Bookreporter.com, May 16, 2008 .
