The Story Of The Weeping Camel review

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A small miracle of patience and editing, this "narrative documentary" about a nomadic Mongolian family and their problematic flock is not the insomnia-cure you might expect.

After an excruciating two-day labour, a camel rejects her first-born colt, which pines for milk and attention as her mother becomes ever more aggressive. The traditional remedy involves a mystical ritual with a violin but, with no instruments at hand, the family's two young sons set out on a quest across the Gobi Desert for music. Interestingly, they experience the modern marvels of television and ice cream en route...

A mixture of captured events and scenes recreated with the four-generation cast of non-actors, Weeping Camel carves out its own genre: magic-realist docu-soap. The Gobi is magnificent, the family look like an animated Benetton billboard and the camels' soulful eyes bore straight to your heart.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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