Anda Union - From the Steppes to the City

The musicians that make up the Anda Union are from the six-million-strong Mongolian community in China. They decided to go on a search for the roots of the music they make. The result is a touching road movie that has the band members taking a month to travel 10,000 kilometers across the vast steppes of Inner Mongolia. Along the way, they visit family members whom they have not seen for many years and perform lively concerts for a wildly enthusiastic audience. The camera is there when an instrument builder meticulously carves a flute from wood, when cheese is being made in a nomad tent according to a local recipe, and when the drink flows freely deep into the night. Just before they depart, the mother of one of the band members tells him how proud she is because he is doing so much for the traditions. This film is hardly a lamentation for lost ancient traditions, because the old and the new blend together perfectly. More than anything, it is a tribute to the musicians and their contemporary interpretations of traditional Mongolian music.