B.Tergel, who played the main role in the Mongolian artistic film “Ser Ser Salkhi” or “City of Wind”, which competed in the Horizons section of the 80th Venice International Film Festival, was selected as the best male actor and won the Golden Lion award, which is a symbol of the festival. “City of Wind” is a joint work of international artists. Ts.Ariunaa, the producer of the Mongolian side, and the writer and director P.Lkhagvadulam have not yet returned to Mongolia. I talked with B.Tergel for a few moments who arrived first from Venice.

Congratulations on winning the first prize at the most prestigious international film festival!

I appreciate it. But I still don’t know whether the Golden Lion was given to me or the film team. Producers and directors will probably find the reason.

Foreign producer of that movie Katya gave a speech on the stage of the Venice Film Festival when she received the award. I understood that the actor B.Tergel, who played the main role, won the award.

Sorry, I can’t say anything specific at the moment.

Did you not think that you would become the owner of Golden Lion?

Well, I don’t think so. I didn’t expect that I would win the Golden Lion award. I still can’t believe it.

Are you an actor?

No. I just graduated from high school last spring. I took a gap year. Before I thought about studying in the acting class at the Mongolian State University of Arts and Culture.

How did you get the role to act in this movie?

I worked as the first cameraman in the feature film “Moloko”.  At that time, the executive producer Azzaya said, “Director P.Lkhagwadulam is looking for an actor for the male lead role in her production, and you go to the audition.” So, after 14 days of participating in the role selection, they said, “Congratulations, we would like to invite you to play in the movie.”

Do you still want to study as an actor?

Of course. But lately, I have been thinking about studying abroad.

When did you become interested in cinema?

I used to watch movies a lot when I was in second or third grade. Later, I thought about acting in films and making films. On a whim, I worked as a Master Painter’s assistant on the movie “Zombies of the Steppes” while I was in high school. Following the director’s decision, I was involved in the selection and placement of small props on the stage.

What does the “City of Wind” film tell about?

About the shaman. 

Did you play the role of a shaman?

Yes. I acted in the role of a shaman nicknamed Ze.

Did you know much about shamanism before acting in the movie?

I didn’t know anything. Therefore, there was a need to study. Actor Ts.Ganzorig, who played the role of my father in the movie, is my brother. He was quite observant when he saw him take down his inspiration once. I also bought shaman clothes and accessories for myself.

When will this film be presented to Mongolian audiences?

I think the film will be presented to the audience at the Ulaanbaatar Film Festival at the end of next month.