Zud

When the icy cold sweeps across the Mongolian steppes, eleven-year-old Sukhbat's family loses many sheep and goats. To remedy his father's looming money problems, Sukhbat is supposed to ride a half-wild horse in a potentially lucrative race. The preparations bring challenges and conflicts, patience and insight – and the relationship between father and son grows more intense. The high-pitched singsong Sukhbat uses to drive his horse and the rush of the cold wind dominate the sound of the steppes. Authentic images document the struggle for the survival of a traditional nomadic way of life, one characterized by an uncanny closeness between humans and animals in a landscape as inhospitable as it is entrancing. (Berlinale)