The Wolves always come at Night

Gabrielle Brady Australia, Mongolia, Germany 2024 96 min.

It is spring in the Mongolian steppe where young nomadic couple Davaa and Zaya live with their four children and look after their animals. One fateful day, a fierce storm hits the family's camp and they discover that half their herd has not survived. They make the painful decision to leave for the city: Davaa has to sell his beloved horse and starts working in a gravel factory. The loss of their old life weighs heavily, but the hope of a return keeps them going.

Director Gabrielle Brady lived in Mongolia for a while when she was in her twenties, working as a television producer for a children's programme. The country and its people lingered in her heart, and 15 years later she returned. It turned out that many herding families now live in special districts of the city where they are allowed to install their ger. Where for centuries wolves were the biggest threat to their herds, the threat to their lifestyle now comes from something altogether different. Thousands of families lost their animals due to the effects of climate change. The loss of the animals also means the loss of their land, lifestyle and identity. This all-pervading sense of loss is beautifully portrayed in this poignant documentary, partly filmed in retrospect.

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