Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir’s feature debut tells the story of a child poised on the edge of adulthood as he navigates the tension between staying true to his own desires and honouring his duties.
Following her acclaimed short films Mountain Cat and Snow in September ― TIFF’s winner of the 2022 Short Cuts Award for Best Film ― is this meditative, sensual, and richly textured debut from Lkhagvadulam Purev-Ochir. Ze (a breakthrough performance by Tergel Bold-Erdene) is a 17-year-old high-school student who balances his studies, family obligations, and responsibility of being the shaman for his village in Mongolia.
Like most teenagers, Ze and his older sister struggle with comparing themselves to others ― the modern apartments, sleek new malls, and the diversions of the new moneyed class are visible from their rural, modest community, yet seem an entire world away. Meanwhile, Ze develops feelings for one of the teen clients he meets in a shamanic ceremony designed to protect her during surgery. This new relationship awakens desires in him for earthly pleasures and freedom from the strict rules of his spiritual lifestyle.
While his sister is on her own wayward journey, generating conflict between his parents, the fallout of Ze losing his way affects the entire community in dramatic ways. City of Wind is a gorgeously shot exploration of a child poised on the edge of adulthood as he navigates the tension between staying true to his own desires and honoring his duties.
ROBYN CITIZEN
Official Selection, 2023 Toronto International Film Festival
Content advisory: sexual content