Director Zoljargal Purevdash captures an authentic and ethnographic spotlight of a teenager’s troubles growing up in a state of financial instability in If Only I Could Hibernate .
The film follows Ulzii (Battsooj Uurtsaikh), a young teenage boy who attempts to keep his family together, whilst balancing his social life, educational prospects and the formation of his identity.
Set in the vastly tented landscape of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia – an unexplored territory in the land of mainstream cinema – Ulzii, his mother and two younger siblings live within a yurt where the bounds of family and love are stretched within the confines.
A major element is the coldness of the setting. It is painfully constant and reminds us of the significance of such a basic necessity and how it can impact everyday life.
Ulzii’s daily struggle to collect firewood pushes him to rip up wooden planks and steel rubber from play parks and illegally log woodlands. In a way, this highlights his determination and resilience, which can also be applied to his studies.
The motif of family is so central to the plot, with Ulzii taking a head role due to his late father’s absence and his mother’s alcoholism. Throughout the film, there are beautiful moments between the siblings sharing their fondness for each other in the smallest ways from the treat of Coca-Cola to making bracelets to help afford firewood and coal.
When Ulzii gets recognised for his gift of understanding physics, the battle between loyalty and escaping for opportunity becomes apparent. As a viewer, you just want Ulzii to succeed and flourish by achieving the international school scholarship that he so wholly deserves, but you can’t help but wonder what would become of his little brother and sister.
When times get too tough, Ulzii’s mother is forced to move to the country and find work to try and support her family, placing full responsibility on him.
This story explores many nuances of growing up in complex circumstances, wanting to remain young but also being forced into adulthood. There are elements that could’ve been explored in more depth, such as the loss of their father and the backstory of Ulzii’s teacher and mentor, who motivates him to pursue his academic ambitions.
The title and premise act as the escape route so often searched for during the adventures of growing up. Unfortunately, his one way out is tarnished due to the vicious cycle of poverty. The pacing was slow and, at times, frustrating, but that may have been a tool to highlight the monotony of Ulzii’s situation.
