A Formidable Woman
There are very few female horse trainers in
Mongolia - and Munkh-Tsetseg is one of
them. She trains fast horses for the annual
festival of Naadam. The first time we meet she
says, “ I’m half a century” and “Come visit.”
So I do. I go to her ger homestead in Hentii province.
Spring Days
Monjago is a nomadic herder who lives
with her family on the steppe of Eastern
Mongolia. Everyday, I shadow her -
herding cattle, milking cows, cleaning pens,
brushing cashmere. She’s always moving
…and I’m always struggling to catch up.
City Girl
Onika lives in the capital,
Ulaanbaatar and would like to set
the record straight - about
Mongolia, cities, horses, Harry
Potter and the ideal Mongolian
woman.
Peaceful Moments
Amgalan lost her leg in an
accident 12 years ago and “that’s when I
really began living,” she says. Her name
means peace and her words --on nature,
destiny, loss and rebirth--embody wisdom.
One Fine Evening
Jainaa lives with her family in Bayan Olgii
province. She just graduated from college and is in
limbo, wondering whether work or marriage is
next. One
night, I ask her for a song – she starts,
her family joins in, and the moment grows into an
impromptu concert in which a girl on the cusp
faces
the future with all the hope in the world
On the Move in Mongolia was produced for Outer Voices (outervoices.org) which showcases the seldom-heard voices of women the world over working for peace and preservation of cultural wisdom. Post-production funding by The Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund and The Shelley and Donald Rubin Foundation & Ikbal Nathani.
PRODUCER BIO
Shebana Coelho is a writer and documentary producer. Her
work has been broadcast on National Public Radio, BBC Radio Four, American
Public Television and the Discovery Channel. She received a 2007 Fulbright
Research Fellowship to Mongolia.
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