Nominated for Discovery Award and Best Screenplay (Eldar Shibanov, Yuliya Levitskaya)
Q&A with Eldar Shibanov
11-year-old Jabai sells mountain onions alongside the highway and one day he catches his idol trucker having sex with his mom. Jabai and his sister embark on a journey from their small village in Kazakhstan to China, to obtain the only thing that will save their father, the ‘Golden Viagra’.
Jabai and Saniya, a young brother and sister, sell onions by the side of the road in the Kazakh Steppe in order to make ends meet. Disaster looms when their mother prompts their father to sign divorce papers, unwilling to wait any longer for the house that her husband promised to build. In an effort to mend the broken relationship, Jabai and Saniya run away from home and venture to China in the hopes of acquiring the coveted Golden Viagra that will bring stability back to their parents’ marriage.
Mountain Onion makes the most use of its locations and young actors to craft a meaningful coming-of-age tale and family drama. The inventive visuals—which includes gorgeous closeups, reflections, and landscape scenery—tight pacing and optimistic tone all contribute to the themes of masculinity, familial bonds and intersibling relationships. This is a movie that will make audiences laugh as much as it will make them reflect on the importance of the family unit sticking together during hard times.
Expect naturalistic acting from a young, talented cast. Esil Amantai and Amina Gaziyeva, who play the brother and sister, respectively, add charm to their lively characters.
Mountain Onion successfully conveys its message of hope and love, and asserts that no matter what, blood is thicker than water.
Manuel Delgadillo
This film is F Rated.
