If Only I Could Hibernate (12A)

Ulzii, a gifted teenager from a poor neighbourhood in Ulaanbaatar, is determined to get a scholarship by winning a physics competition. His illiterate mother finds a job in the countryside, leaving him and his younger brother and sister in the middle of winter. Ulzii needs to find ways to keep their yurt warm in sub-zero temperatures and look after his siblings while preparing for the national competition. Zoljargal Purevdash’s absorbing first feature intimately conveys the harsh living conditions and pollution in the ger (tented house) district of Mongolia’s capital, contrasting intricate domestic interiors with the snow-covered backdrop of the landscape beyond.