Mongolia: the Last Nomadic Horsemen

In the far north of Mongolia, in the heart of an icy taiga where temperatures can drop as low as -45°C, the Tsataan still live to the rhythm of their reindeer. This nomadic people, one of the last to travel on reindeer back, keeps ancestral traditions alive through tipis, shamanism, transhumance, and life in the wilderness. Over the course of a year, this documentary follows Tsataan families facing a heartbreaking dilemma: preserving their ancestral way of life or adapting to modernity. From traditional weddings and shamanic rituals to extreme winters, family separations for school, and young people leaving for Ulaanbaatar, this is a rare immersion into the fragile world of Mongolia’s last guardians of the reindeer. 00:00 The Last Reindeer Riders 00:05 At -45°C, a People Survive at the Edge of the World 05:14 Only 200 Remain in Mongolia 07:06 Modernity Threatens the Tsataan Tipis 08:31 1,000 km to Reach a Hidden World 12:08 A Rare Wedding Shakes the Valley 17:14 Every Morning, She Speaks to the Spirits 21:22 100 Guests for a Sacred Union 25:17 Six Months of Winter, Alone with the Wolves 30:55 The Shaman Reveals Her Secret Rituals 37:42 School Forces Families Apart 45:20 The Great Transhumance into the Taiga 50:52 A Young Tsataan Chooses the City 54:43 Leaving the Tipis or Saving Tradition