Mongolian herders that are the subject of the documentary The Wolves Always Come at Night have been denied visitor visas by the Canadian government to attend a Sept. 9 premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.
Davaasuren Dagvasuren and Otgonzaya Dashzeveg, the writers and protagonists of the hybrid doc from Mongolia, are not expected to be at TIFF after they failed to secure visitor visas. “The visa process is so blatantly unfair. What took me 30 seconds online for my approval was a two-month-plus process for our Mongolian team, and they still didn’t get approved,” the documentary’s producer Rita Walsh said in a statement on Wednesday.
Director Gabrielle Brady’s documentary portrays a young couple, Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg, after a devastating storm brought about by climate change, forced to relocate from their home in the Mongolian countryside to the city, where they must adjust to a new way of life.
The initial Aug. 19 application for Dagvasuren and Dashzeveg, who are also credited as co-writers, has been seen by The Hollywood Reporter and stated that Canadian government regulations had not been met and permission to travel to Canada had been refused.
“I am refusing your application because you have not established that you will leave Canada,” the decision stated. The film’s producers argued the doc subjects have children in Mongolia as an incentive to return to Mongolia and that their travel costs, including flights and accommodations, had been covered.
The film’s producers have lodged appeals with the Canadian government but have yet to receive a response and they urge time is running out for the doc subjects to travel to Toronto in time for the world premiere at TIFF Lightbox on Monday night.
A third visitor application for Dorjpagma Dugar has been approved but awaits a final stamp from the Canadian visa office in Hong Kong before one of the film’s Mongolian producers can fly to Canada.
The Toronto Film Festival was not available for direct comment, but it’s understood TIFF organizers have intervened with Canadian officials to explain the reason for Dagvasuren and Daszeveg seeking permission to travel to Canada and the urgency of allowing enough travel time to reach Toronto.
The Australia, Mongolia and Germany co-production has a second TIFF public screening set for Sept. 11.
