‘40 Years Carrying Salt’ Qualified for Berlin Film Festival
Art & Culture
Ulaanbaatar,
February 3, 2026 /MONTSAME/. The documentary “Forty Years Carrying Salt” by
the news website ergelt.mn, which has recently released its book “The Last Nomads,”
has been qualified to participate in the Berlin International Film Festival.
Specifically, the
documentary won first place in the “Mongolian Film Projects” program at the
2026 Berlin International Film Festival. Thus, the team now has the opportunity
to present their film project “Forty Years Carrying Salt” to an international
jury, foreign producers, and movie production companies. The documentary film “Forty
Years Carrying Salt” was directed by Badralmaa B. based on the article written
by journalist Chantsaldulam Dorj at ergelt.mn. The film was selected in
the second stage of the Kharkhorum International Film Festival in June 2025, as
well as for the Mongolian National Film Council’s 2025 Cinema Support Fund.
The documentary follows the story of how the elderly residents of Gurvantes soum of Umnugobi aimag, Sukhee B., Tsogzolmaa B., Altantuya D., Renchinlkhumbe Ts., harvest salt from the local Dund River, and how this benefits not only nature, but also the people and livestock of their own as well as their neighboring communities. Furthermore, the film shows their hard work and relentless efforts to protect the salt pans from dunes, alongside their aim to keep their village inhabited despite the urban advancements of the 21st century. This story of four citizens reflects the multifaceted complexities of the social, political, and environmental issues that face us today.
