Here is a movie so simple and elegant that anything which dares to disturb its subtlety should be banished to outer space. The Cave of the Yellow Dog"" warms hands on a cold day and releases a triumphant song across its unsuspecting audience.
Far away in the rolling terrain of Mongolia, the Batchuluun family lives isolated from the city. They are nomads, traveling endlessly in our ever-changing world, in need of simple things like new ladles and perhaps a flashlight. Every so often, the father travels into town to fetch such necessities or to sell sheepskins and meat. During those times, the mother stays at home, looking after three little ones and running a well-oiled sheep farm""curing the meat, churning the butter and preparing the cheese. When she needs someone to collect dung from the fields for numerous chores, she sends little Nansal, the oldest daughter approximately six years old, to do the job for her.
During her mini-adventure, Nansal neglects her duties to play in the grass instead. She hears a small sound coming from a cave just at the top of the hill. And there he is, the little dog she'd come to name Zocher, which translates to Spot in English. The two become best friends""however, Nansal's father disapproves of the dog. He tells her it has probably lived with the wolves that continuously ravage their sheep, and should they take Zocher with them once they are ready to move on, the wolves will surely follow.
It is difficult not to go on for pages, laying out every last detail hewn from the lives of the Batchuluuns""but, at the same time, so little actually happens. What demands the attention of the audience""instead of plot movement and change""are the moments of wisdom that occur within the sweet, evolving dynamic of a family. In a time when the outside world""the nomadic world""is becoming lost to the growing presence of technology, the pressure to cross over is high. This is why the most interesting and important part of ""The Cave of the Yellow Dog"" is the persistent cultural tradition that emanates so proudly from its characters.
Moments of doubt are chased away by polite moments of acceptance. The Batchuluun children, all young and ridiculously adorable, move through life as puppies, nurturing and playing with each other to pass the long, sun-filled days. Zocher merely brings them a cuddly source of entertainment and is another being for the children to sprinkle their love. When the time to move on approaches and Nansal's father decides they must leave Zocher behind, a small miracle occurs""once more establishing the importance of family, the wisdom of children and the element of hope that can be found in any situation.
The performances are effortless, as the movie looks and moves like one of the most beautiful documentaries ever made. The scenery is breathtaking and the story is unlike anything which precedes it""however, it all feels so familiar. This is, perhaps, what makes ""The Cave of the Yellow Dog"" so beautiful in the end.
