Zoljargal Purevdash
{{Short description|Mongolian film director}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Zoljargal Purevdash
| image =
| caption =
| birth_place = Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| alma_mater = J. F. Oberlin University
| occupation = {{flatlist|
- Film director
- screenwriter
- producer}}
| years_active = 2012–present
}}
Zoljargal Purevdash (born 1990) is a Mongolian filmmaker.
Early life
Born in Ulaanbaatar, Purevdash excelled at maths and physics in her youth and earned a scholarship to a prestigious high school, where she joined the drama club.{{cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2023/05/cannes-un-certain-regard-zoljargal-purevdash-if-only-i-could-hibernate-1235372844/|title=Mongolian Director Zoljargal Purevdash Talks Cannes Title 'If Only I Could Hibernate'; Surviving Extreme Winter & Inspiring Mongolia's Youth|work=Deadline Hollywood|first=Liz|last=Shackleton|date=May 20, 2023|access-date=December 21, 2023|archive-date=December 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221204435/https://deadline.com/2023/05/cannes-un-certain-regard-zoljargal-purevdash-if-only-i-could-hibernate-1235372844/|url-status=live}} She won another scholarship to study filmmaking at the J. F. Oberlin University in Japan.
Career
Her first short film Over the City, Under the Sky (2010) won the Cinema Club Award from the West Tokyo City Film Festival. After graduating from film school in Japan, she returned to Mongolia and worked on films as a first assistant director. Later she directed two experimental short films called Burgundy (2013) and Outliers (2017), both of which screened at the Altan Khalis Independent Film Festival.{{cite web|url=https://afa.biff.kr/eng/html/fellows/read.asp?Page=1&Num=767&Location=2018|title=Asian Film Academy 2018 Alumni Zoljargal PUREVDASH|via=Asian Film Academy|access-date=29 March 2024|archive-date=29 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329181134/https://afa.biff.kr/eng/html/fellows/read.asp?Page=1&Num=767&Location=2018|url-status=live}}
Her feature film directorial debut, If Only I Could Hibernate, made its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023, in the Un Certain Regard section. She became the first Mongolian director in Cannes’ official selection.{{Cite web|url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/if-only-i-could-hibernate-a-first-film-by-zoljargal-purevdash/|title=If Only I Could Hibernate, a first film by Zoljargal Purevdash|date=January 8, 2024|website=Festival de Cannes|access-date=March 29, 2024|archive-date=March 29, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329175905/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/2024/if-only-i-could-hibernate-a-first-film-by-zoljargal-purevdash/|url-status=live}} The film was also invited to the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section where it was screened in October 2023.
In March 2024, the film won both the Grand Prize and the Cineuropa Prize at the 39th Mons Love International Film Festival in Mons, Belgium.{{Cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/458588/|title=If Only I Could Hibernate triumphs in Mons’ Love International Film Festival|date=March 18, 2024|website=Cineuropa - the best of european cinema|access-date=March 29, 2024|archive-date=March 29, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329180340/https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/458588/|url-status=live}}
A Sight and Sound review said her first film showed "great ambition and promise".{{cite news |last1=Charity |first1=Tom |title=If Only I Could Hibernate review: the yurt locker |url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/if-only-i-could-hibernate-beautifully-crafted-mongolian-drama |access-date=26 April 2024 |work=Sight and Sound |publisher=BFI |language=en}}
=Accolades=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Date of ceremony ! scope="col" | Category ! scope="col" | Recipient(s) ! scope="col" | Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref heading}} |
|---|
| scope="row" | Cannes Film Festival
| rowspan="4" | Zoljargal Purevdash | {{nom}} |
| scope="row" | Tokyo FILMeX
| 26 November 2023 | Special Jury Prize (Shared with Critical Zone) | {{won}} |
| scope="row" | Mons Love International Film Festival
| 16 March 2024 | Grand Prize | {{won}} |
| scope="row" | Mons Love International Film Festival
| 16 March 2024 | Cineuropa Prize | {{won}} |
Filmography
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! width=65 |Director ! width=65 |Writer ! width=65 |Screenwriter ! Notes |
|---|
| 2022
| Yellow Bus |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Short{{cite web|title=(Yellow Bus)|website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21618206/}} |
| 2017
| Stairs |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Short{{cite web|title=Stairs|website=IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13260284/|access-date=2023-12-21|archive-date=2023-02-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230217090144/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13260284/|url-status=live}} |
| 2021
| Naked Bulb |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |Short{{cite web|title=Naked Bulb|website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21605116/}} |
| 2023
|{{yes}} |{{yes}} |{{yes}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=11971571}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zoljargal, Purevdash}}
Category:Mongolian screenwriters
Category:Mongolian film directors
Category:Mongolian women film directors
Category:People from Ulaanbaatar
Category:Women documentary filmmakers
Category:J. F. Oberlin University alumni
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