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If Only I Could Hibernate

2023 1h 39m Drama List
100% Tomatometer 12 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
A poor but prideful teenager, Ulzii, lives in the yurt area of Ulaanbaatar with his family. He is a physics genius and is determined to win a science competition to earn a scholarship. When his mother finds a job in the countryside, she leaves him and his younger siblings to face a harsh winter by themselves. Ulzii will have to take a risky job to look after them all and keep his home heated.

Critics Reviews

View All (12) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Brings an earthy, lived-in authenticity to a premise that, in other hands, could feel like a piece of ethnographic voyeurism. Rated: 4/5 Apr 21, 2024 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Perhaps the film could have given us a clearer view of the teacher’s inner life and past, but this is still an interestingly downbeat, shrewd drama. Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Hamza Shehryar Little White Lies A formidable debut that captures the indomitability of the human spirit amid even the most challenging circumstances. Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Kevin Wight The Wee Review A handsome and sincere study of a burdened young man, although its protagonist can be unnecessarily infuriating. Rated: 3 Sep 4, 2024 Full Review William Stottor FILMHOUNDS Magazine This small and intimate Mongolian gem sparkles with the vivacity and authenticity of life that is so very important to films such as this. Rated: 4/5 Sep 3, 2024 Full Review Amarsanaa Battulga View of the Arts Zoljargal’s If Only I Could Hibernate is a candid social drama with a local focus, a universal appeal, and a lot of heart. Rated: 4/5 Aug 1, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A poor but prideful teenager, Ulzii, lives in the yurt area of Ulaanbaatar with his family. He is a physics genius and is determined to win a science competition to earn a scholarship. When his mother finds a job in the countryside, she leaves him and his younger siblings to face a harsh winter by themselves. Ulzii will have to take a risky job to look after them all and keep his home heated.
Director
Zoljargal Purevdash
Producer
Frédéric Corvez, Maéva Savinien, Zoljargal Purevdash
Screenwriter
Zoljargal Purevdash
Production Co
Amygdala Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Mongolian
Runtime
1h 39m