By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 5 cats
Director: Gabrielle Brady
Year: 2024
Running time: 93
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30768181/reference/
Brett says: “In THE WOLVES ALWAYS COME AT NIGHT, Director Gabrielle Brady offers a documentary-fiction hybrid that is sure to appeal to fans of the unique genre. The subjects are members of a family of herders in rural Mongolia who face challenges that prove more than they can handle as the appeal of perhaps an easier life near the city beckons. Their work is very difficult, as one might imagine, but there is a natural adeptness that Dava (family patriarch) and Otgonzaya (family matriarch) possess. Director/documentarian Brady adopts an observational approach to their lives, never interviewing or disrupting the flow of their daily responsibilities.
“The title is a nod to wolves on both the literal and metaphorical level. For members of such family farms throughout Mongolia, the fear of wolves and their ability to hit the reset button on months of progress and planning is a huge threat. Likewise, limited harvests, growing, and livestock production–once sure things with careful daily progress and planning–are all being threatened by more unpredictable storms and shifting weather patterns than what Dava’s uncle (still playing an active role in the family sustenance living routine) and Dava’s ancestors have faced. Thus, just when Dava and company think (or even know) they are doing the right things for their animals and family to make it to the next year, the ‘wolves’ can come in the form of precedented changes that catch his family off guard and make them question their respective places in the natural world. The wolves in the regional lore have a mythical largeness to them, and so goes the scope of what seems to be happening to Dava and his traditions and livelihood.
“Dava’s work is not work. It is a way of life. The genuine love for his flocks and for his family and the land is so pure that it is almost painful, as if one wishes he/she could love and feel attached to anything as much as Dava does. This only exacerbates the impact of the reality of the crossroads he and his family face as change begets change.
“The narrative portion of the film is part natural and in the moment, but it is also retrospective. Without spoiling key plot points, the filmmakers have allowed Dava to revisit a life that once was. In fact, he and wife Otgonzaya are credited as writers in the film, which hits with another emotional gut punch in its purity of their story that is unfolding. It is their story to tell and Brady and crew allow them to tell it/live it. A key theme that goes along with the experience of change itself is that of yearning and longing, as Dava attempts to rewrite part of his story.
“A key victory for the film is that it recognizes the universal language that exists among grass roots agrarians/farmers/herders worldwide. The unspoken dialogues and language of the film is just as powerful as Dava’s words of compassion and care for his livestock and his family. 5 CATS OUT OF 5“