Cinematic Exploration of Nomadic Women

Abstract

Social and political changes at the end of the 20th century affected all parts of Mongolian society. The era of anti-liberal propaganda gave way to a new cinematic landscape dominated by anarchy, with themes such as poverty, beggars, and crime taking center stage in post-socialist Mongolian society. Simultaneously, historical themes emerged as expressions of social change. By the late 2000s, cinema themes have shifted away from social and political subjects to focus more on individual experiences, family issues, and interpersonal relationships. Women were portrayed in films before the 1990s as heroic, diligent, and socialist women who embodied socialist ideals in service to the nation. Still, during the 1990s, they were shown as lonely, impoverished nomads, enslaved, or promiscuous. In the cinematic landscape of the late 2000s, the image of nomadic women has emerged intricately linked with their land, settlements, and nomadic culture, showing them as carriers of Mongolian cultural heritage. As part of our study, we conducted a qualitative and quantitative analysis of how nomadic women have been portrayed in Mongolian cinema since the 1990s. We determined whether Mongolian women are portrayed positively, negatively, or neutrally based on the findings. The research demonstrates how Mongolian women are portrayed, how gender equality has evolved, and how traditional patriarchal nomadic Mongol practices have transformed. We analyzed feature films made since the 1990s and held focus group meetings with filmmakers. In addition, two types of studies on the film and the character were undertaken among moviegoers using the questionnaire approach.

Presenters

Unursaikhan Tugj
Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communications, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Anujin Bayarsaikhan

Tugj Unurtuya
Senior Teacher, International Cambridge school, Orchlon International Cambridge School, Mongolia

Tserenjav Tsevegjav
Student, PhD, University of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Details

Presentation Type

Paper Presentation in a Themed Session

Theme

The Arts in Social, Political, and Community Life

KEYWORDS

NOMADIC-SOCIETIES, GENDER-EQUALITY, CULTURAL-VALUES, NOMADIC-IDENTITY, TRANSFORMATIVE-ART