Mujaan

Filmmaker Chris McKee's documentary short Mujaan follows the work of Mongolian herdsmen who hand-build round homes called “gir” out of wood and sheep's wool. One might reasonably wonder how these structures can withstand the harsh elements of the Mongolian steppes, but this time-honored homebuilding technique has been the standard for thousands of years (indeed, this profile often feels like a recreation of ancient traditions, even though it's a contemporary record of how these rural people maintain a lifestyle essentially unchanged since Genghis Khan was making mischief). Granted, some of the facets of this lifestyle will not sit well with more sensitive viewers, especially a scene in which a herdsman flips a sheep over on its back and casually disembowels it, but McKee does a fine job of immersing the viewer in this nomadic society: from the vastness of the landscape to the intrinsic closeness of the rural people (less-unsettling sights here include complex food preparations and the utterly hypnotic game of “dembé”--sort of an ultra-advanced version of “rock-paper-scissors” that has its own tournaments in Mongolia). DVD extras include two commentary tracks, six featurettes focusing on different elements of the film, and a 12 page insert with background information about Mongolia and three lesson plans for teachers. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)