The Spirit of Fire Festival was held in Khanty-Mansiysk from March 5 to March 9. As part of the film screenings and the cultural program of the festival, two competitions were held — international and Russian. Filmmakers from 30 countries took part in the event. The main prize of the Golden Taiga Festival was awarded to the film "Kill the Mongolian Horse" by Chinese director Xiaoxuan Jiang.
The film tells the story of Sain, a Mongolian horseman who takes care of his ranch during the day and performs difficult horse tricks in front of the audience at night. In this show, he portrays a dashing horseman, but his real life is on the verge of collapse. The film takes place in the frosty steppes on the border of Mongolia and China.
Director Xiaoxuan Jiang noted in her video message that this film is her tribute and declaration of love to the motherland. She also stressed that "To kill a Mongolian Horse" is an echo of her favorite painting "Urga - the territory of love" directed by Nikita Mikhalkov. The film was shot in 2024 in China, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, the USA, Thailand and Japan.
