Torn between nomadic traditions and modern expectations | SLICE | FULL DOCUMENTARY

foreign [Music] Mongolia is covered by large steps and mountains it is a huge territory my family has always put our yorts at the foot of the konyo can mount we have always been nomads [Music] my name is batma I am 15. like every summer I spend the holidays in the step with my parents and grandparents [Music] we need to take him away from his mum [Music] this calf is very strong [Music] in the morning I help my grandma take care of the cows [Music] can you bring the cows over here be gentle with them okay thank you we have all five of the herd animals sheep goat cow camel and horse I don't think we will ever sell our animals I think we will just continue to tend them so that our herd keeps growing my favorite moments are those that I spend with my family but my dream is to move to the city [Music] thank you [Music] nomadic people change camps and move their Yurts according to the seasons right now we're in the summer camp I have two sisters 4G is 10 and dulma 7. push me like I did for you my little sister is like watching cartoons I mostly watch movies I like adventure movies my parents and grandparents live in the step all year long and take care of the animals dad looks after the horses as grandpa is not so young anymore because I've always lived in the steps herding animals when I was young I was like a mountain deer a wild water fish an agile Martin but not anymore today I'm like the other of a tired sheep I'm old why don't you come and sit here Batman sit next to Grandpa in the step we eat meat and milk products it is thanks to our animals that we survive they allow us to feed ourselves and to meet all our needs even our Yurts are made of sheep's wool and it is also the animals who keep us warm even bugs don't take camel done so we mix cow and camel dung to get fuel um The Herd provides for us in an apartment you have to pay for water electricity the herd makes this possible I think that we nomadic children do a lot of things Country Kids help out their parents and family in many ways like all nomadic women mom has lived with dad's family ever since she got married I would like to go and have my haircut with Batman with who with Batman we're happy to spend time with her during our vacations the rest of the year we don't see her very much I'd like my daughters to get an education they can decide later if they want to come back to the herd or not afterwards [Music] camels are Grandpa's favorite animals [Music] come on people say that nomadic people have no education but that's not true we're all educated we know how to use cell phones send texts and calls [Music] for me school is the most important thing in order to have a stable job I want to continue studying and go to university after I finish High School summer vacations are over and we're back at school [Music] sit down Ulan bought 16 Red Balloons and 14 yellow balloons in Mongolia school starts when you're six years old nomadic children like us must leave their parents to get an education while they stay in the step to take care of the herd [Music] [Applause] [Music] since I was a little girl I've Loved School back in the days before we had measuring tools our ancestors used to measure with their body parts a fist eight centimeters eight centimeters that's right from the shoulder to the tip of the fingers [Music] during the school year my sisters and I live in the village of rashant a few hours from our family all nomadic children from the near region come to school here some sleep at school some in a yurt and others like us in-house it's my dad who built our home with my sisters we've lived on our own since last year before Mom was always with us at first it used to feel very uncomfortable being alone at home it was a little weird without Mom but I got used to it eventually our great grandma lives next door in a yurt in the garden she took care of the children of the family for 50 years she's over 90 now [Laughter] it was so nice back then when I was young I just heard it or sheep riding a horse I gathered the wool of our sheep and goats and we had a cow to have dried dung you were probably very busy with milking and everything of course when your grandmother was small like this she was my only child then whenever I needed to tend the herd I used to open the top of the yurt a little bit I tied her to the foot of the bed I put a coat around her when I came back she was asleep using the coat as a pillow it was the best solution for her to stay safe I would leave her alone I don't think anyone would do that today that's for sure times have changed a lot yes it's very different today people even talk about sleeping in on weekends I wonder how they do it because my hip hurts if I lie down for too long [Music] four months have passed today isar the Lunar New Year the biggest Mongol celebration [Music] it's okay no my parents came to the Village to prepare the festivities mine are blue and Dome is a pink they must be in a bag they're mine Happy New Year I wish you a happy and long life and success in your studies Happy New Year Sagan SAR we honor older people great grandma is the oldest in the region and she will have many visits Happy New Year I wish you a long and happy life and to drink less alcohol [Music] thank you look it's cute off we go to do the ritual offerings and turn the prayer Wheels [Music] I'm on the other side dad [Music] that's it foreign [Applause] our grandparents never come to the Village so we are going to visit them in the winter camp [Music] the step has no secret for Grandpa harsh Winters don't scare him even if sometimes it gets to minus 50. his only fear is that our animals die from the cold [Laughter] something is a very nice celebration it's celebrated just once a year an important holiday especially for herders because in a way we are celebrating the end of winter it might even be a tradition from the time of Genghis Khan I don't know the exact details is not too cold so we can enjoy nature wait wait hang on a bit since when you eat sweets can't you wait here here's another one for you let's wait during segansar we welcome the new year and wish for it to be beautiful it's time to think about the future in two years after finishing high school I'll be taking my exams in the spring I will start getting ready next year I want to become a doctor [Music] [Music] a year has passed and I am now in 11th grade foreign [Music] if I want to become a doctor I have to study Mongol and English but the most important topics are chemistry and biology and it works out great since they're my favorite topics thank you our village has no running water we must go fetch it at the Village well you hold the container a bit closer to the wall that's it I download videos to my phone using Tubidy mostly songs I just downloaded this one to prepare the school talent show it's traditional dancing your shoulders now they're moving their arms like that but with the arms down [Applause] stay in line the school dance is a very special moment we all work very hard as Mom comes to the village for a few days to watch us dance [Music] [Music] can you lift my legs up Dad Mom me my middle sister and big sister this is the house this is a flower and here are the Sheep [Music] spring has arrived it is the most intense time for Nomads we leave the winter camp for the spring camp and everything must be ready before the newborns arrive my sisters and I are on school holidays and we can help with the births [Music] her mother's milk is not enough thank you [Music] the wool of our goats is used to make the most beautiful cashmere in the world it's our biggest Revenue [Music] [Music] in nomadic families girls study more than boys often stay in the step to take care of the herd but we the girls study so we can have other jobs that can be useful for the whole family I'm now in 12th grade and I will take my exam at the end of the school year good morning everyone good morning sit down spring is right around the corner I hope you will all successfully pass the exams and enroll in the University you want foreign [Music] I'm going outside to play with my friends Anka can you stop the swing yeah okay now YouTube enough hey that's enough stop it no that's not enough on Facebook there's a group called Mongolian makeup girls and in the group I find plenty of information about putting on makeup and stuff like that in Mongolia plastic surgery is growing too I've had surgery on my eyes but I have no intention of touching other parts of my body even for my eyes it was hard to convince my parents dad was against it I have to push here no it's already recorded you closed your eyes we will be taking our exams in the district of bulgan students from all the villages will be there and the ones with the highest scores will be able to enter University I'm worried because over a hundred kids from our district will be competing it won't be easy to be among the top students eight months have gone by I went to see my grandparents before leaving for bulgan I am taking the exam next week you're leaving yes I have to go at what time at four she will be going to bulgan with her friends how long will you stay there six or seven days you will all stay together yes where will you sleep there's a place for that time for the meals we can handle it already 18. you can fend for yourself and you don't need our help you've always had good grades so this time also it will work come here so I can kiss you you are the first of our grandchildren to graduate um yeah I'm going bye good luck thanks bulgan is 190 kilometers away it's not that far but the roads are difficult they're mostly dirt roads so it takes about six hours to get there [Music] two three toys [Music] thank you [Music] this exam is very important my future depends on it [Music] I would be so happy to enter the National University of Medicine [Music] what's up [Music] [Music] hey stop it what he keeps licking me [Music] summer holidays have come my sisters and I are back in the step with the family [Music] but this summer is different I had my results but it's not what I was hoping for with you she studied a lot but they accept very few students from our Province for them it's more difficult than for kids from the city her grades were good but they just accepted too few students wait wait I'm Gonna Roll directly from here [Music] we went to the dunes of el centa SAR hi just near our summer camp but I don't feel like having fun what's up over 130 students took the exam for medical school the university only had eight spots for our Province and I failed so I accepted nursing school and I went back home my family is very proud that I will study to be a nurse in Ulan Batar but I'm not happy of course we'll miss her even if we have a telephone now she'll only be able to come back during her vacation the phone is a wonderful thing we can see images it's good yes now that we have Internet it's easier to communicate the telephone is so great way back in the days we didn't used to go far away to studying a university we just studied up to the fourth grade to become a herder yes we dropped out to become herders and after four or five years we would get married and leave and we had to cook for everyone thank you yeah what are you making I'm making a horrendous dumpling just like you taught me are you watching the Sheep bugma I'll go check on them later look at my weird dumplings they have very weird shapes it doesn't look very nice let me give you a kiss okay now go show your parents is Batman leaving tomorrow or the day after tomorrow Batman is leaving tomorrow [Music] foreign I've thought about it a lot and I really don't feel like being a nurse tomorrow I'll be in Ulan Batar I hope I will find a solution you'll have to be careful now that you'll be alone since all those people in the building go through the same door they'll easily realize that you just moved in yeah for the first time I will have to lock my door in the step we always leave the door of the yurt open to welcome people but in the city everything is different [Music] [Music] foreign I always dreamed of being a doctor of taking care of others I would like to be able to help my parents and family life in the step is difficult and Health Care is complicated to get [Music] [Music] finally inulan Batar I will have to get used to it it is the most populated capital city of the world I will live among one and a half million inhabitants half of the population of the country and each year we are more people because ex Nomads come and put their Yurts here making the city even bigger foreign [Music] [Music] I've learned that there are several private universities of medicine in ulanbatar it does not cost more than the National University I'm not sure if it can work but I must try I applied to two universities fingers crossed [Music] thank you [Music] foreign the human body the bone structure joints muscles digestive system urine resistance reproductive systems one by one you'll be studying them this one lights up if you look at it what you see in green is the foret the frontal boat God in the end I was accepted in a private university it was not my first choice but it means I can be a doctor at the end of my studies and it is all that matters I live in an apartment in the neighborhood of bayanzor the university is completely on the other side of town [Music] okay I'm done I just want to sit down my family bought this apartment so that my sisters and I can study in the city it was very expensive my parents took a loan and Grandpa sold most of his beloved camels he was sad but for us he did not hesitate I'm going to be here for a long time so I just have to get used to it first I'll study for six years then I'll have to work at a local Clinic then if I want to specialize I'll have to study for four more years [Music] [Music] thank you [Music] mum went back to the countryside when I was in second or third grade it was very weird I used to sleep with mum and all of a sudden I had to sleep with Batman it's very hard I still miss mum sometimes [Music] when my older sister was here she did all the housework now that she's gone we spent hours doing it I don't even have time to play with my phone oh yesterday Batman called me and we did a video chat it would be great if we could all be together as a family and Batman with us it's hard before Batman cooked for us it has been two months since I came here air pollution is even worse than I thought what I don't like in Ulan Batar is that you always have traffic jams and in the morning I take the bus for one hour and a half but I'm starting to get used to it in the morning if I don't leave home on time I'm really late for class we've already spoken about several acids classes used to last for 40 minutes in high school and it seemed long now it's twice as much and it is very long [Music] how many carbon atoms are there my class we are mostly girls in fact in medical school we are more than 80 percent girls I'm happy to meet new people in the University it's nice having new friends from different places some of my classmates are from the countryside and some grew up in the city since school started we've learned to know each other well it's been two months now so we've become closer [Music] yep [Music] good afternoon Dear honorable professors dear students I salute you on this great day now I am in medical school since it is my own choice it feels great even if I have to study hard I love it because I have a goal I want my dream to come true foreign [Music] as a student aspiring to do the great deed of protecting the health of our people [Music] I will build my knowledge by studying hard um I swear [Applause] [Music] if you stand alone thank you winter has come and it is very cold my parents stayed in the step to take care of the animals but my grandparents had to come to the Village to help my sisters when the kids are at school we keep the fire and cook for them I miss the animals a lot sometimes when the gate is open cows come into my yard and it makes me feel good this is the first winter I'm spending with my mum in 50 years of course it feels good to spend the winter together we see each other each day sometimes mom comes to see me I come to see her for sure once or twice a day mm-hmm I will go back to the steps soon it's better I go hold my son I will be able to look around the step with my telescope here I have nothing to do but go to the toilet if Grandma can't stay with us next year mum said we'll go to Ulan my sister oji says she won't go anywhere but she'll stay here What's this called the horizon line yes the horizon line here we draw a line for the width the length line is a bit longer and so here is our roof now you should be able to do it for yourselves we will go back to the step for spring to be there when the animals give birth [Music] I'm sure that one of my granddaughters will stay in the countryside the herd that we inherited from our ancestors cannot be left without a master [Music] yeah you're hiding you miss me here I am tired again [Music] I quickly got used to running water [Music] my daily routine has completely changed since I moved to Ulan Batar although I leave my house at 7am and come back at 4 or 5 p.m often when I arrive I am tired and I fall asleep I wake up around 8 or 9 p.m and I study until I go to bed thank you the temperature is now minus 20. it's good that the gym class is now inside just sit the other way around I got it all wrong your turn now it's four times forward and twice on the side four times on each side products you're doing it backwards and eleven no it was supposed to be 12. you lost too bad now we're ready for skipping rope competitions you must put the pipette inside and let it drip I'm happy with my University now that I started there is no going back there's some small white bubbles at the moment living in the city feels good there are many things to do and places to see that's why I like it it's pretty [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] came back my grandparents moved back to the step as always in the spring my family changes camps I am so glad not to be there because it is so much work [Music] nomadism is part of Mongolian culture so I don't think it will ever stop but I don't know maybe if we stopped changing Camp each season life would be easier the Lunar New Year I saw my sister she told me that we must dream big and the best time for me is now while I study my big dream is to open up my own clinic and you must always believe in your dreams for them to come true even if my future is in the city I want to take care of my family and be useful for my community [Music] foreign [Music]

Channel: SLICE

Views: 421,821

Keywords: documentary, documentaries, shortdoc, shortdocs, slice, slicedocs

Id: pk2qT1imJzU

Length: 50min 21sec (3021 seconds)

Published: Sun May 21 2023