Director Jang Ju-hwan’s genre-bending feature film, Where the Mountain Women Sing, combines female empowerment with Mongolian mysticism, securing 60% of its $800,000 budget and tapping into Tokyo’s gap finance market. It has appeared. This project market is part of TIFFCOM, a content market affiliated with the Tokyo International Film Festival.
The film follows Stephanie, a documentary filmmaker who discovers a remote village in Mongolia ruled by a female shaman. Initially, she is drawn to this seemingly utopian matriarchal society, but discovers disturbing traditions, including forced childbirth and forbidden love affairs, leading to a moral crisis that shakes her understanding of power and faith. Masu.
“The origins of ‘Where the Mountain Women Sing’ are very personal,” Chan told Variety. “Growing up with the folklore and shamanic traditions of northern China, I have always been fascinated by the tension between the mystical and the everyday, the ancient and the modern.”
Chan frames the project as a feminist thriller that examines how tradition both liberates and constrains. “Although this village appears to be a utopia where women hold power, it is also a place still bound by the invisible chains of the laws of the mountain gods, social pressures, and ritualistic practices that control fate.” she explains.
Veteran Taiwanese producer Patrick Mao Huang joined the project and said it was appealing for its “unique fusion of mysticism and modernity.” “Mongolia’s remote setting and cyberpunk aesthetic make this a visually innovative project with great festival potential,” said Huang. The director’s proof-of-concept short has already demonstrated her ability to execute ambitious visions.
The production team, which includes When Pigs Fly Films, Huang’s Flash Forward Entertainment, and 70 Steps, plans to shoot during the 2025 snow season. They are currently looking for additional co-producers, investors, distributors, and international sales companies.
“Ultimately, I want Where the Mountain Women Sing to be a deeply emotional and thought-provoking film that resonates with audiences on many levels. It’s simply a story of one woman’s journey. It’s not a story. It’s about women’s collective struggle against a system that seeks to define and limit them.” “By fusing the beauty of Mongolia’s landscape with an eerie, mystical atmosphere, we create a film that is both visually captivating and yet conveys a powerful message about personal liberation, self-discovery, and the need for cultural preservation.” That’s what I’m aiming for.
Chan is also developing the U.S.-Taiwanese dark comedy “When Pigs Fly,” about Hollywood fraud, and the Thai-French feminist horror film “White Island,” which explores neo-colonial practices and cult activity. are.
