Iron Winter (Documentary)

Rating:

Director: Kasimir Burgess
Producer: Ben Golotta,Chris Kamen,Morgan Wright
Screenwriter: Ed Cavanough,Enebish Sengemugaa
Cinematographer: Benjamin Bryan
Composer: Luke Altmann
Editor: Kasimir Burgess,Kenny Ang
Featured Subjects: Chadraa Dondogsuren / ‘Bayankhangai’,Dondogsuren Batbold / ‘Batbold’,Tsogtgerel Tsagaan-Owgon / ‘Tsagana’,Chadraa Barsbold / ‘Jijray’

Seeking to keep a centuries-old tradition alive, two friends battle extreme conditions as they herd 2000 horses through the icy Mongolian steppes.

Over the generations, as winter approaches and snow descends on Tsakhir Valley in Mongolia, herders have led thousands of horses on long treks across the frozen steppes to find fresh pastures to graze in. For young Batbold and his older and more experienced companion Tsagaana, this is both a job and an opportunity to reconnect with the traditions of their nomadic ancestors, including assembling yurts, cooking meals and competing in age-old horseback sporting contests. But during their four-month journey through severe landscapes and temperatures that reach minus 50 degrees Celsius, they and the horses they’ve sworn to protect will face the twin dangers of hypothermia and wolf attacks. The gruelling expedition promises to be a transformative experience for Batbold – but with the comforts of the city serving as an ever-present lure, it may also be his last.

Supported by the MIFF Premiere Fund and debuting in competition at Visions du Réel, this mesmerising documentary from Kasimir Burgess (Franklin, MIFF 2022) captures a fading tradition at the intersection of rural life and modern technology. A real-life story of camaraderie and survival, Iron Winter is a remarkable window into one of the world’s most breathtaking and forbidding environments, as well as the immediate threats posed by catastrophic climate change.


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Director Kasimir Burgess, producer Ben Golotta and journalist Ed Cavanough are guests of the festival and will be in attendance at the Saturday 9 August session of the film. Producer Morgan Wright is also a guest of the festival and will be in attendance along with Burgess and Golotta at the Monday 11 August session. Producer Chris Kamen and cinematographer Ben Bryan are also guests of the festival and will be in attendance at the Saturday 23 August session.