Little Zulaa’s “mother” goes missing. Adopted by the Derem family in the far Gobi, she bonds with a dinosaur egg fossil. As the family protects these ancient treasures, a foreign traveler, Smith, arrives seeking them. Through Gobi life and the tender camel-coaxing ceremony, the film portrays a vanishing nomadic way of life.
Urantuya Otgonbaatar is a Mongolian filmmaker whose work explores Mongolian life, landscapes, and cultural heritage. She began her career in television with the 2011 series Ger and later produced the feature film The Passerby (2017), which was selected for the 39th Moscow International Film Festival. The Far Gobi marks her feature directorial debut. Through the film, Urantuya explores the relationship between people, nature, and cultural traditions through a human-centred and poetic approach. Her work is rooted in everyday Mongolian life, national culture, traditional heritage, and the vast landscapes of Mongolia, reflecting her pursuit of a distinctive Mongolian cinematic language. This artistic approach has also received international recognition, with The Far Gobi receiving the Cultural Heritage and Authenticity Award at the Golden FEMI International Film Festival.