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Making the Most of It In Mongolia

June 23, 2008 at 12:45 PM | 0 Comments

Now that you've graduated, it's getting harder to avoid finding a job, no? Maybe you should continue the fun, er, education by traveling abroad. It's somewhat cliché, but two recent graduates, Christopher Rufo and Keith Ochwat, realized that there was much more adventure to be had elsewhere. Instead of the roadtrip across the country or the backpack adventure across Europe, they sought out a true adventure, a trip to Mongolia.

Instead of just posting pictures on Flickr, they filmed the whole thing--in HD no less. Upon returning home they spent two years editing their film and pitching their program to public television stations. Their 30-minute documentary, Roughing It: Mongolia, made its debut this summer on PBS.

Shooting across Mongolia with portable video equipment, Rufo and Ochwat aimed for maximum interaction with locals. Some of their journeys include following a nomadic tribe of "reindeer people." Although only 200 of these individuals remain in the world, they continue the practice of traveling around to herd reindeer.

They also visit an elder known as "Old Man Pirenlenguay" for a music lesson (the secret is to suck not blow) and check out his sculptures and paintings.

The filmmakers then experienced first hand the Nadaam Festival that celebrates the three sports of men: wrestling, archery and horse racing.

The pair is already at work on the next series, "Roughing It: The Great Pacific," set to debut sometime in 2009.

Related Stories:
· Roughing It [Official Site]
· PBS Schedules [Official Site]
· Mongolia coverage [Jaunted]

Where: Mongolia

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Author Photo: kjb by kjb

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