Mongolian Ping Pong - Post Reaction

My Global Film Studies class has just finished Mongolian Ping Pong, and overall I was pretty satisfied with the film.

The plot is centered around one little boy, Bilike, and his friends Erguotou and Dawa. They all live in the remote grasslands of Mongolia where they herd sheep and live simple lives. There is no technology, and as one might expect there is a huge emphasis on community and family. One day, Bilike comes across a round, white object in the stream. It was obvious that the object was a ping pong ball, however Bilike and his friends assumed it was a "magic pearl that glowed". They prized and treasured that ball for a very long time, all the meanwhile trying to figure out its origins. The boys even try consulting the village leaders, but even they did not know what the mysterious ball was, or where came from. In a slightly humorous scene, the trio visit the wise monks to ask the question, what is this object and where did it come from? The lamas are stumped too. One day, Bilike, Erguotou, and Dawa discover the game of ping pong on Dawa's fathers television set. Somehow the boys believe the ball is the "national ball" of China, so they attempt to journey to Beijing to "return it". In what was a likely scenario, the friends don't get an hour out before they realize the destination is too far for them. When all hope seems lost, something truly miraculous happens! My favorite scene is the ending, when Bilike walks into a "rec center" and hears the noive of bouncing objects in the next room. He opens the door to investigate and ..... a look of astonishment comes on his face.

One strong contrast between Mongolian films and American films is the humor. In many instances throughout the video, the actors stare blankly at a person, event, or visual attraction of some sort. Sometimes these moments last beyond their effect on the audience. Where these moments intended to be funny? It's hard to tell.

The actors in Mongolian Ping Pong were excellent in my opinion, and the production and direction were also above my initail expectations. The actors were so convincing that I admit I thought the film was a documentary for the first 20 minutes or so!. I must add that the Mongolia grassland scenery is very majestic and beautiful. The setting and environment seems so relexing and peaceful. The people of the grasslands are respectful, nice, and always in good mood. I am starting to realize that Mongolian Ping Pong has actually created a cultural bridge for me. I look forward to crossing more cultural bridges!