We invited Anji Sauve Clubb, director and producer of "Nomad Meets the City", a documentary telling three stories of migration from rural nomadism to city life in Mongolia, for an interview. She holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she also gained experience in cinematography, storytelling, and video editing. Currently she is working full time on her film project. She has the vision to do more in Mongolia; we will get more insight through her interview.
Could you introduce yourself briefly to us, please? How did you initiate the film project?
My name is Anji Sauve Clubb and I am from the US. I was born in Georgia. My family moved away from the US. My mom moved to Taiwan and my dad moved to Australia. Actually I grew up in Asia for about ten years. Then I went back to the US to study. I earned master`s degree in urban planning at Harvard University. When I was there, I met my friend who did research on the ger districts in UB and I was also getting really interested in film making and making videos at that time. Also we have another Mongolian classmate who was in the same program as well. After my graduation, I was faced with two choices: whether to go work at a normal urban planning job or follow my passion. I thought that what was happening here is really interesting and fascinating to me. So I decided to try and come here. My Mongolian classmate introduced me to some people here. Her contacts helped me to set up a team for the project. That is how I started the film project.
Why did you decide to make a film in Mongolia as the urban planning is not only an issue for Mongolia?
I think Mongolia is very unique because the contrast between where people are coming from in the countryside and the city life they come to is so different. It is almost polar opposites. So, people are coming from a culture that is nomadic, free, very independent, and with wide open spaces; and when you move to the city you have to live in one place with neighbors all around you. It is very dense. It is a totally different way of living. That contrast is very interesting to me. Also I think it is interesting that we can see this transition happening even now in Mongolia and its been happening quite a while. But even now the traditional culture is still very strong. In some places that is not the case. I think it is a big story because it is universal, it is a story that is happening in many places in the world. It is something that many people can actually relate to. It is unique but it is also universal.
We are looking for a third character who is a young woman now living and working in the city.
Do you have experience in film making before?
This is my first film. I started making videos in 2012 about three years ago, but this is my first full-length film.
When will your film be finished?
Now we are about half way done with our filming. We are going to film with three characters and we filmed with two so far. We will probably film until next summer, and then it will take at least six months to put the film together. It will be released some time in 2017.
I heard that your characters are not professional?
This is a documentary, so the stories and people we film are real. We have almost finished filming with one of our characters. The next one is a college student, so we are going to film with him for the whole school year. And we are looking for a third person who is a young woman now living and working in the city. It is good if she came from countryside so that she can reflect on the differences. Ideally, it would be nice to find someone who is engaged with the community or social issues in some way. Because it is nice to have a character who can talk about some of those things through her work. We are still looking.
What is the main message of this film?
First it is very good to document this historic time. It is quite historic that now almost half of Mongolia’s population lives in the city. But I hope people will also be inspired by these characters in our film who are struggling through their own hardships. For example, the young guy really does not like the city and did not want to go to college; he wants to be a herder. The older guy has to live apart from his wife and son. I think that they are very strong. What I like about them is that in spite of any circumstances and any challenges they have, they are strong and they move forward. So I am hoping that this film can document the reality of what is happening and also show people the strength of the human spirit.
How did you attract the funding for your film?
When I started there was no funding. There was just me and some friends. We were all volunteering basically. But then we were lucky to get a grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation here, and then the US Embassy also gave us a grant, and we got private donators to donate some money, and the Arts Council of Mongolia is also helping us with various things. We are lucky that after some hard work we were able to attract partners. At first our budget was very low obviously. Now we really want to make a very high quality film. So we need enough money to finish our filming and create a really good final product that can go to international film festivals and be broadcast on TV.
Collective voice of neighborhood or whole district or khoroo or even just your building is very meaningful and can be impactful.
You completed a master`s degree in urban planning. How do you see the urban planning of UB? Can you name the advantage and disadvantage?
I think that various stakeholders have made good efforts to make a better plan for urbanization in UB. One of the advantages is that so many international organizations are also here providing more brain power and contributing ideas. It is nice to see a lot of improvements in connectivity, for instance sidewalks have been improved, and there have been changes to the bus system. It is good to see that progress is being made. There are obviously also many challenges. Because so many people are migrating to the city. The city does not have the capacity to support these people. So I think that is going to be a long term issue for UB, and providing affordable housing is one of the key policies that the government needs to put in place to help that issue. I also think it is important for UB to pay attention to what is unique about this city. UB has a unique heritage of Soviet architecture and ger districts. I think the ger districts should not be wiped out; they should be improved and preserved to the extent possible. We can find a way to do that in a smart way that provides the necessary services to those residents. I think it is the smartest solution and most desirable.
How about the disadvantage of urbanization in UB?
One problem that has happened here and elsewhere all over the world is that the Government and urban planners have not listened to the people when making their plans. They have just acted as designers who impose their designs on the city. That approach had disastrous consequences in American cities. Cities where built essentially for cars. They separated the places where people live and work. You have to drive forty minutes to an hour to get to work. They also created public housing or affordable housing in places far away from the city in horrible buildings. Now, we all try to take a more human-centered approach, and it is really important to listen to the people. If you want successful development or planning you need people` s input. I know that UB is doing that somewhat. But it is just at the beginning and could definitely be pushed further.
Furthermore, it is not just important for the Government to listen to people. It is also important for people to speak up for themselves. One important thing I learned is that if you creating living environment, there is something you should fight for. The collective voice of a neighborhood or whole district or khoroo or even just your building is very meaningful and can be impactful.
Are there any other projects that you are working on now?
We launched a campaign on www.indiegogo.com, a crowdfunding website. We raised funding for speed skater Zulaa who needed to compete in Canada about two months ago. We were lucky that her video went viral and people liked her story. We successfully raised money for her. Now we have started a similar campaign on www.indiegogo.com for our film.
Sounds great and good luck to you. Let`s talk about your life experience here in Mongolia. How long have you been here?
I have been here since last July.
You lived in an Asian country for a while before. Compared with other countries in Asia, how is it living here in Mongolia? Do you enjoy living in UB?
I do enjoy living in UB. I think that it is hard for me to compare Mongolia with Asian countries. I lived in Taiwan and China for quite a while. I think Mongolia is really quite different from most East Asian countries that I have been in. Something I can relate to is Mongolians use the Lunar Calendar and celebrate Lunar New Year. There are some Chinese influences I can recognize. But there are also a lot of things I can relate to as an American. Americans also have tradition of herding cattle. We have cowboys. Something like that I feel is similar to the culture that I come from. I feel quite comfortable here actually.
You were here during Lunar New Year. Could you share with me your Lunar New Year experience in Mongolia?
I spent Tsagaan Sar with the character who lived in Rashaant soum, Huvsgul aimag. It was amazing. They made me a deel. On the first morning of the New Year I did not know what was happening because I did not have a good translator. So they just woke me up at 6am in the morning and said, “Put on your deel!” Then we climbed a nearby mountain. The whole time I did not understand what was happening. Then I started to realize people were waiting for the sunrise. I got some good footage that morning. I think it is such a beautiful tradition to have. Because you really paying attention to nature and appreciating our place in nature. I really loved visiting the different households and all the rituals there were of greeting people and offering things. My experience in China and Taiwan around Lunar New Year – it was little bit boring to me! We went to our friend`s house and ate lots of dumpling and had a big meal. But there was not same kind of ritual. So I really enjoyed the experience that I had in Mongolia.
Great. So you will spend New Year here. What is plan for celebration of New Year?
Actually my mom is living here with me in UB. So we will spend Xmas together.
What is the best places you like to visit in UB?
I really love to go hiking in Bogd Khan mountain, and I love to visit the Choijin Lama Temple located in the heart of city. I also love walking by the Tuul River. And I just love going to visiting the little cafes around the town like Green Zone.
You are now an expat of UB. What would be your advice to newcomers in UB?
One thing I would definitely say is if someone is going to be here for more than two or three months, I would say take Mongolian lessons. I took some in the beginning and stopped for few months. Now I starting again and I feel like the world is opening up around me. Because I’m just beginning to understand more and more. So many expats come here and say it is too difficult to learn Mongolian and say it is not useful because not many people speak it. I do not think those are good enough excuses. If you live in this place, you should make effort to understand it.
Plus I would say, bring more warm clothes!
Thank you for the interview.
We invited Anji Sauve Clubb, director and producer of "Nomad Meets the City", a documentary telling three stories of migration from rural nomadism to city life in Mongolia, for an interview. She holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the Harvard Graduate School of Design, where she also gained experience in cinematography, storytelling, and video editing. Currently she is working full time on her film project. She has the vision to do more in Mongolia; we will get more insight through her interview.
Could you introduce yourself briefly to us, please? How did you initiate the film project?
My name is Anji Sauve Clubb and I am from the US. I was born in Georgia. My family moved away from the US. My mom moved to Taiwan and my dad moved to Australia. Actually I grew up in Asia for about ten years. Then I went back to the US to study. I earned master`s degree in urban planning at Harvard University. When I was there, I met my friend who did research on the ger districts in UB and I was also getting really interested in film making and making videos at that time. Also we have another Mongolian classmate who was in the same program as well. After my graduation, I was faced with two choices: whether to go work at a normal urban planning job or follow my passion. I thought that what was happening here is really interesting and fascinating to me. So I decided to try and come here. My Mongolian classmate introduced me to some people here. Her contacts helped me to set up a team for the project. That is how I started the film project.
Why did you decide to make a film in Mongolia as the urban planning is not only an issue for Mongolia?
I think Mongolia is very unique because the contrast between where people are coming from in the countryside and the city life they come to is so different. It is almost polar opposites. So, people are coming from a culture that is nomadic, free, very independent, and with wide open spaces; and when you move to the city you have to live in one place with neighbors all around you. It is very dense. It is a totally different way of living. That contrast is very interesting to me. Also I think it is interesting that we can see this transition happening even now in Mongolia and its been happening quite a while. But even now the traditional culture is still very strong. In some places that is not the case. I think it is a big story because it is universal, it is a story that is happening in many places in the world. It is something that many people can actually relate to. It is unique but it is also universal.
We are looking for a third character who is a young woman now living and working in the city.
Do you have experience in film making before?
This is my first film. I started making videos in 2012 about three years ago, but this is my first full-length film.
When will your film be finished?
Now we are about half way done with our filming. We are going to film with three characters and we filmed with two so far. We will probably film until next summer, and then it will take at least six months to put the film together. It will be released some time in 2017.
I heard that your characters are not professional?
This is a documentary, so the stories and people we film are real. We have almost finished filming with one of our characters. The next one is a college student, so we are going to film with him for the whole school year. And we are looking for a third person who is a young woman now living and working in the city. It is good if she came from countryside so that she can reflect on the differences. Ideally, it would be nice to find someone who is engaged with the community or social issues in some way. Because it is nice to have a character who can talk about some of those things through her work. We are still looking.
What is the main message of this film?
First it is very good to document this historic time. It is quite historic that now almost half of Mongolia’s population lives in the city. But I hope people will also be inspired by these characters in our film who are struggling through their own hardships. For example, the young guy really does not like the city and did not want to go to college; he wants to be a herder. The older guy has to live apart from his wife and son. I think that they are very strong. What I like about them is that in spite of any circumstances and any challenges they have, they are strong and they move forward. So I am hoping that this film can document the reality of what is happening and also show people the strength of the human spirit.
How did you attract the funding for your film?
When I started there was no funding. There was just me and some friends. We were all volunteering basically. But then we were lucky to get a grant from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation here, and then the US Embassy also gave us a grant, and we got private donators to donate some money, and the Arts Council of Mongolia is also helping us with various things. We are lucky that after some hard work we were able to attract partners. At first our budget was very low obviously. Now we really want to make a very high quality film. So we need enough money to finish our filming and create a really good final product that can go to international film festivals and be broadcast on TV.
Collective voice of neighborhood or whole district or khoroo or even just your building is very meaningful and can be impactful.
You completed a master`s degree in urban planning. How do you see the urban planning of UB? Can you name the advantage and disadvantage?
I think that various stakeholders have made good efforts to make a better plan for urbanization in UB. One of the advantages is that so many international organizations are also here providing more brain power and contributing ideas. It is nice to see a lot of improvements in connectivity, for instance sidewalks have been improved, and there have been changes to the bus system. It is good to see that progress is being made. There are obviously also many challenges. Because so many people are migrating to the city. The city does not have the capacity to support these people. So I think that is going to be a long term issue for UB, and providing affordable housing is one of the key policies that the government needs to put in place to help that issue. I also think it is important for UB to pay attention to what is unique about this city. UB has a unique heritage of Soviet architecture and ger districts. I think the ger districts should not be wiped out; they should be improved and preserved to the extent possible. We can find a way to do that in a smart way that provides the necessary services to those residents. I think it is the smartest solution and most desirable.
How about the disadvantage of urbanization in UB?
One problem that has happened here and elsewhere all over the world is that the Government and urban planners have not listened to the people when making their plans. They have just acted as designers who impose their designs on the city. That approach had disastrous consequences in American cities. Cities where built essentially for cars. They separated the places where people live and work. You have to drive forty minutes to an hour to get to work. They also created public housing or affordable housing in places far away from the city in horrible buildings. Now, we all try to take a more human-centered approach, and it is really important to listen to the people. If you want successful development or planning you need people` s input. I know that UB is doing that somewhat. But it is just at the beginning and could definitely be pushed further.
Furthermore, it is not just important for the Government to listen to people. It is also important for people to speak up for themselves. One important thing I learned is that if you creating living environment, there is something you should fight for. The collective voice of a neighborhood or whole district or khoroo or even just your building is very meaningful and can be impactful.
Are there any other projects that you are working on now?
We launched a campaign on www.indiegogo.com, a crowdfunding website. We raised funding for speed skater Zulaa who needed to compete in Canada about two months ago. We were lucky that her video went viral and people liked her story. We successfully raised money for her. Now we have started a similar campaign on www.indiegogo.com for our film.
Sounds great and good luck to you. Let`s talk about your life experience here in Mongolia. How long have you been here?
I have been here since last July.
You lived in an Asian country for a while before. Compared with other countries in Asia, how is it living here in Mongolia? Do you enjoy living in UB?
I do enjoy living in UB. I think that it is hard for me to compare Mongolia with Asian countries. I lived in Taiwan and China for quite a while. I think Mongolia is really quite different from most East Asian countries that I have been in. Something I can relate to is Mongolians use the Lunar Calendar and celebrate Lunar New Year. There are some Chinese influences I can recognize. But there are also a lot of things I can relate to as an American. Americans also have tradition of herding cattle. We have cowboys. Something like that I feel is similar to the culture that I come from. I feel quite comfortable here actually.
You were here during Lunar New Year. Could you share with me your Lunar New Year experience in Mongolia?
I spent Tsagaan Sar with the character who lived in Rashaant soum, Huvsgul aimag. It was amazing. They made me a deel. On the first morning of the New Year I did not know what was happening because I did not have a good translator. So they just woke me up at 6am in the morning and said, “Put on your deel!” Then we climbed a nearby mountain. The whole time I did not understand what was happening. Then I started to realize people were waiting for the sunrise. I got some good footage that morning. I think it is such a beautiful tradition to have. Because you really paying attention to nature and appreciating our place in nature. I really loved visiting the different households and all the rituals there were of greeting people and offering things. My experience in China and Taiwan around Lunar New Year – it was little bit boring to me! We went to our friend`s house and ate lots of dumpling and had a big meal. But there was not same kind of ritual. So I really enjoyed the experience that I had in Mongolia.
Great. So you will spend New Year here. What is plan for celebration of New Year?
Actually my mom is living here with me in UB. So we will spend Xmas together.
What is the best places you like to visit in UB?
I really love to go hiking in Bogd Khan mountain, and I love to visit the Choijin Lama Temple located in the heart of city. I also love walking by the Tuul River. And I just love going to visiting the little cafes around the town like Green Zone.
You are now an expat of UB. What would be your advice to newcomers in UB?
One thing I would definitely say is if someone is going to be here for more than two or three months, I would say take Mongolian lessons. I took some in the beginning and stopped for few months. Now I starting again and I feel like the world is opening up around me. Because I’m just beginning to understand more and more. So many expats come here and say it is too difficult to learn Mongolian and say it is not useful because not many people speak it. I do not think those are good enough excuses. If you live in this place, you should make effort to understand it.
Plus I would say, bring more warm clothes!
Thank you for the interview.