Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

If Only I Could Hibernate

2023 1h 39m Drama List
100% Tomatometer 10 Reviews
A poor but prideful teenager, Ulzii, lives in the yurt area of Ulaanbaatar with his family. He is a physics genius and is determined to win a science competition to earn a scholarship. When his mother finds a job in the countryside, she leaves him and his younger siblings to face a harsh winter by themselves. Ulzii will have to take a risky job to look after them all and keep his home heated. Read More Read Less

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) Brings an earthy, lived-in authenticity to a premise that, in other hands, could feel like a piece of ethnographic voyeurism. Rated: 4/5 Apr 21, 2024 Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Perhaps the film could have given us a clearer view of the teacher’s inner life and past, but this is still an interestingly downbeat, shrewd drama. Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Hamza Shehryar Little White Lies A formidable debut that captures the indomitability of the human spirit amid even the most challenging circumstances. Rated: 3/5 Apr 17, 2024 Full Review Amarsanaa Battulga View of the Arts Zoljargal’s If Only I Could Hibernate is a candid social drama with a local focus, a universal appeal, and a lot of heart. Rated: 4/5 Aug 1, 2024 Full Review Rich Cline Shadows on the Wall A bracing look at present-day Mongolia, this drama takes an essentially bleak story and injects continuous blasts of humour, warmth, sharp observations and hope for the future. Rated: 4/5 Apr 23, 2024 Full Review Markie Robson-Scott The Arts Desk Director Zoljargal Purevdash’s remarkable debut, the first ever Mongolian film in the Cannes official selection, features impressive non-professional actors. Rated: 3/5 Apr 19, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew
View All If Only I Could Hibernate photos

If Only I Could Hibernate

If Only I Could Hibernate (2023) If Only I Could Hibernate (2023) If Only I Could Hibernate (2023) If Only I Could Hibernate (2023) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A poor but prideful teenager, Ulzii, lives in the yurt area of Ulaanbaatar with his family. He is a physics genius and is determined to win a science competition to earn a scholarship. When his mother finds a job in the countryside, she leaves him and his younger siblings to face a harsh winter by themselves. Ulzii will have to take a risky job to look after them all and keep his home heated.
Director
Zoljargal Purevdash
Producer
Frédéric Corvez, Maéva Savinien, Zoljargal Purevdash
Screenwriter
Zoljargal Purevdash
Production Co
Amygdala Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Mongolian
Runtime
1h 39m