The Iron Winter follows two young Mongolian horse herders who battle extreme winter cold to protect an ancient tradition that risks being lost forever.
Bonsai Films will distribute in Australia/New Zealand.
Filming of The Iron Winter took place in the Tsakhir Valley of the Arkhangai province; one of the world’s harshest human-inhabited environments where temperatures routinely plummet below -35 Celsius in winter. The six-week shoot saw Burgess and cinematographer Benjamin Bryan supported by a small production team follow the herders for six weeks through one of Mongolia’s deadliest winters in decades.
The Iron Winter tells the story of the herders leading thousands of horses into the high country searching for edible grass hidden under the snow. They must survive unassisted for 150 days before returning to the valley in spring. If they succeed, they are regarded as true horsemen by the rest of their community.
But with Mongolia undergoing significant socio-political and environmental change, this vital cultural practice is dying out. This winter was particularly harsh. The herders have dubbed it “The Iron Winter”, which describes the bullet-proof ice and snow that prevented the horses from accessing feed, resulting in the starvation of many.
“The Iron Winter is a universal coming-of-age story set in one of the world’s most extraordinary and hostile natural environments,” said Burgess. “We’re thrilled to have successfully completed this very challenging shoot in collaboration with the local community.”
Producer Chris Kamen says, “This is a compelling story of cultural resilience in the age of globalisation and climate change. It highlights the fragility of ancient rites of passage that are now under so much pressure in many parts of our rapidly changing world”.
The film is co-written by Kasimir Burgess and Edward Cavanough. It is produced by Ben Golotta and Morgan Wright from Repeater Productions in collaboration with Chris Kamen.
Kasimir Burgess’ recent documentary Franklin was nominated for the AACTA and Walkey awards and was a top-performing Australian theatrical documentary of 2022. Kasimir’s debut thriller Fell (2014) premiered in competition at the Sydney International Film Festival and garnered local and international critical acclaim.
The Iron Winter has received principal production funding from Screen Australia in association with the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) Premiere Fund and VicScreen. Developed with the assistance of Screen Australia, the South Australian Film Corporation and VicScreen.
The Iron Winter will premiere internationally in early 2025 and in Australia at the Melbourne International Film Festival in mid-2025.
