“Norjmaa’s Road”

One year later, in 1938, the film Norjmaa’s road was filmed at the Mongolkino studio. It was based on a script written and directed by T.Natsagdorj, and shot by cinematographers B. Demberel and S. Demberel under the guidance of trainer and cameraman A.A.Lebedev. The film’s main character, Norjmaa, leaves the old and goes in search of the new. Norjmaa’s road has a critically important place in the history of Mongolian cinema because it was the first film made independently by Mongolian artists. Unfortunately, however, film researchers are not yet in possession of complete footage of this important work.

Despite its rapid development during these years, however, Mongolia’s nascent cinematic industry also experienced tragedy. By the end of the late 1930s, a time that coincided with Stalin’s purges in the USSR, Mongolkino came under increased scrutiny by the Mongolian government. In February 1939, at the height of this turbulent period, a special commission authorized paramilitary troops to enter Mongolkino premises and destroy a large amount of film-related material. Thirty-eight categories of productions, which included 48,000 meters of original film (negative) and positive images created by Mongolkino artists and staff, were seized and burned. Ninety minutes of Mongolian Son, which had been banned before this event took place, were also destroyed at this time.

The early period of Mongolian cinema (1930-1940) was characterized by a rapid expansion in filmmaking capacity and expertise. These achievements were made possible through Soviet support which included training film directors and crews, the provision of technical equipment and apparatuses, and financing. Early Mongolian films aimed to attract viewers’ attention with their visuals and melodies, and paid special attention to capturing situations that reflected the realities of social life. They aimed to respond to everyday life and events in a rapid way, and produce films for a relatively low cost. This made filmmaking in Mongolia relatively fast. As a result, between 1936 and 1940 Mongolkino produced films on Fifteen Years of the People’s Republic of Mongolia, MPRP 18th Anniversary Conference, Personal Trade, Khovd Monuments, the Twenty Second Parliamentary Session, and others. It also produced approximately 30 documentaries including Soviet Circus Performances and Victory of the People’s Revolution. Many of these films and documentaries, including the classic Norjmaagiin Zam, had the goal of disseminating state propaganda and information on state projects.