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4. Feature films dealing with Mongolia

Interestingly almost none of the films that follow were shot in Mongolia.

Potomok Tchinguis-Khana (Storm Over Asia)

Vsevolod Poudovkine, USSR, 1929, 120 & 70 min., bw, 16mm Shot in Siberia

Urga (aka East of Eden)

Nikita Mikhalkov, France-Soviet Union, 1991, 104 min., col., 35mm Shot on location in Inner Mongolia

The Conqueror of the Desert

Dick Powell, USA, 1956, 111 min., col., 35mm

I Mongoli

André de Toth, France-Italy, 1960, 105 min., col., Cinemascope Print source: Center for Film and Theatre Research, Madison, Wisconsin Shot in studios and in on location in Western Europe. Kitsch epic film on the great conquests of Gingis Khan and the negotiations with Stephan of Krakow on the possible invasion of Poland. Quite wrong historically (i.e. Gingis is killed by his daughter-in-law and his son commits suicide), otherwise a very enjoyable epic. I Mongoli is also the quintessential cliché film on Ginghis Khan and Mongols from a naive Western perspective.

Maciste Alla Corte Del Gran Khan

Riccardo Freda, France-Italy, 1961, col.

Seven Women

John Ford, USA, 1965, 87 min., col., 35mm Shot in studio Seven American women live on the border between China and Mongolia, helping the `poor' Chinese with medical care, until they are forced out by the `barbaric' Mongolian hordes. A German review was contributed by Oliver Corff.

Genghis Khan

Henry Levin, USA-UK-West Germany, 1965, 124 min., col.

Genghis Khan

Lou Salvador, Philippines, 1952, 88 min., BW

Molom, Conte de Mongolie (aka Molom, A Legend of Mongolia)

Marie Jaoul de Poncheville, France, 1995, col. , 35 mm Shot on location in Mongolia

Yonden, Marie Jaoul de Poncheville, France-Mongolia, 2002, col., 90 min. . , 35 mm

The director returns to Mongolia and films Molom, the young Mongolian who was the centre of her first film in Mongolia. A very touching account of their reunion, despite the predictable voice overs that often make the film annoying. Shot on location in Mongolia and in France


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