Mongolia entered the twentieth century under a ruler who was at once a Buddhist hierarch and a head of state. His winter residence in Ulaanbaatar survived the destruction that swept away most of the country's religious architecture, and is today one of the richest museums in Mongolia. The complex has two distinct parts, and the film gives each its due: a sequence of traditional wooden temple pavilions with elaborately bracketed roofs, entered through a monumental gate, and a European-style palace built for the sovereign. Inside are ceremonial robes and headdresses, thangkas and ritual objects, embalmed animals and the diplomatic gifts sent by foreign powers courting Mongolia's allegiance. The collection is startling in its variety, and the film reads it as a portrait of a ruler caught between Buddhist tradition, imperial neighbours and the coming revolution. Filmed in 4K, suited to history and Asian heritage strands.
