‘Gobi Women’s Song’—

A Film With International Connections

At Bethel Cinema This Weekend

Gobi Women’s Song will be shown at Bethel Cinema on Saturday, February 10, at 10:30 am. Tickets are $10, and proceeds will benefit Mongolian Medicine Project.

During the program, filmmaker Sas Carey will talk about how, at the age of 61, she has been inspired to interview Mongolians, create the film and screen it around the country. Questions will be answered after the film.

The film is an independent project by Sas (née Sally Ann) Carey of Middlebury, Vt., who grew up in Newtown. She and her brothers and sisters went through Newtown’s public schools during the 1950s and early 1960s. Ms Carey is a 1963 graduate of Newtown High School.

Set against the background of barren expanses, Gobi Women’s Song immerses the viewer in a different world. It is a world in a transitional moment, one that has occurred in all cultures, which decides the future lives, environment, and lifestyle of its people.

Five 21st Century nomadic women share the rhythm of their harsh daily lives. They hum the song of the soul passed down from their grandmothers and at the same time deal with the pressing issues of today’s world.

Through interviews that span four years, the film captures the rhythms of the harsh daily life of Gobi women and their families. Life there depends on connection — connection with the environment, community, and family.

The ground Gobi women live on is fragile, incapable of supporting agriculture. They need to move four to five times a year to feed their animals and rest the pastures. In this way, they maintain a balance between themselves and their land.

As mentioned earlier, proceeds from next weekend’s screening will benefit Mongolian Medicine Project by providing funding for medical supplies, training and advocacy for improved health care for rural and nomadic Mongolians.

Bethel Cinema is at 269 Greenwood Avenue in Bethel. Call 778-2100 for details about the February 10 screening of Gobi Women’s Song. Tickets will be available at the door.