Two very different movies, very much alike.  The Gods Must Be Crazy was a 1980s sleeper from South Africa. The story is about an adult Bushman who is struck by a falling coke bottle.  He journeys to return it and gets caught up in many adventures.  Mongolian Ping Pong has a ping pong floating down a lazy river and a bunch of kids getting the road picture urge.  Ping Pong has obviously taken much from The Gods.  Both are very live, no CGI here.  In Ping Pong the bugs are visible by lights at night.  The scenery is beyond awesome.  Both have culture clashes that are both cute and condescending.

Historical drama, love story, one man against the system, killer music and vast scenery.  This true story is set in Inner Mongolia during the 30’s.  The world is slowly losing sense and going to total war.  But here in the vast and wide grasslands, the locals seek only peace and raising families with honor. Gada Meilin is the title character who was drawn into a local land war over regional loyalties and with international implications.  Too few movies of this quality and grasp of history made its way to the West prior to the advent of Amazon and Netflix.  This movie has some over acting, but not enough to take away from the sweep of the story and its relevenance.  There are those that do and die and those that nothing and still die.

This movie has won awards.  The Beijing Forbidden City Film Company produced it.  And the music was performed by Tang Ga-al, Mongolian superstar. Filmed on location.