World premiere
Grand Prix Winner 2024: Silent City Driver
An enigmatic hearse driver navigates the solitude and injustice that haunt his tormented life.
In a city rife with corruption and scandals, surrounded by indifference, the solitary and enigmatic Myagmar lives in isolation after enduring 14 brutal years in prison. Scarred both physically and emotionally, his only companions are the stray dogs he has rescued over time.
His life takes an unexpected turn when he finds work as a hearse driver and encounters two people who will reshape his existence: a young Buddhist monk and Saruul, the beautiful daughter of a blind coffin maker, with whom he forms a deep bond. When Saruul succumbs to a crippling depression – driven by exploitation, blackmail, and threats involving explicit photos – Myagmar embarks on a quest for revenge, determined to bring justice to a fractured world.
With its haunting narrative and mesmerising visuals, the film leverages Mongolia’s striking urban landscapes and skyscapes to tell a raw, powerful story of lives on the edge, weaving existential reflections on life and death with an utterly unique cinematic style.
Giovanna Fulvi
Sengedorj Janchivdorj (1976) is a Mongolian filmmaker who studied directing at the “Bers” College of Media and Cinematic Arts. From 2000 to 2003, he was the director of the Film Institute at the National Youth Theatre. After his debut a feature film in 1998, he directed a twenty-episode television series and several feature films. He is also a theatre director. Since 2018, he has been a board member of the Mongolian Film Industry Association. In 2023, his film “Sales Girl” won the Audience Award at the Tartu Love Film Festival Tartuff.
Life: Amidral (2018), I, the Sunshine (2019), Khudaldagch ohin (Müügitüdruk, 2021), Chimeegui khotiin jolooch (Silent City Driver, 2024)
Grand Prix for The Best Film, grant of 20 000 euros from the city of Tallinn, Award for Best Director, grant of 5000€ from Alexela